Fear and hope

Ballot boxes being delivered ahead of the weekend's election

The long process of electing a new administration to govern Iraq begins today.

Iraqis living outside the country, including those in the UK will cast their votes today.

Special centres have been set up in Glasgow, Manchester and London and it's thought that more than 20,000 Iraqi nationals have registered to vote in the UK.

Breakfast had comprehensive coverage and the latest election developments from the UK and Iraq

The result of the election, won't be known until at least ten days after the polls close at 1600 GMT on Sunday

There maybe an indication of who has won after seven days, so it's sure to be a long wait for Iraq's 14 million or more eligible voters

Today on Breakfast

We had a series of five short films running throughout the programme all related to the elections:

We looked at the plight of Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmad who's an Iraqi Kurd exile who's lived in Britain since the 1970s.

We featured Sir Jeremy Greenstock who was Britain's special representative in Baghdad until March last year.

Ann Robbins was an aid worker for save the Children and was in Iraq in February 2004. She told us about the situation in Iraq now all the international agencies have pulled out.

We heard from the MP and former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook who says that the elections are imperative and can't be delayed any longer.

Major Ian Cave who served with the British Army in Basra talked about his experience of working with Iraqi civilians and police officers.

Manchester

Breakfast was live in Manchester where one of three UK polling stations is located. Judith Moritz talked to Fallo Kanno Baghdadi, a voting education official about the security in evidence and what the day means to the expected 13,000 voters.

Baghdad

Caroline Hawley gave us the latest from Baghdad with updates throughout the programme from 0600.

Caroline talked about the mood of apprehension aa locations of polling stations will only be announced at the last minute because of security issues.

We also discussed with Yahia Said, Iraqi academic from the LSE and Jon Lee Anderson, author of "The Fall of Baghdad".

Yahia Said told us there are those who would like to see the elections derailed, but iraqis are hardened to violence, and many will vote.

Jon Lee Anderson said many mistakes have been made, the US didn't have a big plan and the industrial sobotage which occured following liberation has upset many.

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