Iraq poll 'blow' to global terror

Mr Blair praised Iraqi voters' 'clear sighted courage'

Tony Blair has said free elections in Iraq had struck a blow "right to the heart of global terrorism".

Acknowledging the divisions caused by Britain's part in military action the UK premier said the "force of freedom" was now being felt throughout Iraq.

He paid tribute to the "clear-sighted courage" of voters who turned out to participate in the first multi-party poll in the country for 50 years.

Meanwhile, exiled Iraqis in the UK have been voting at three regional centres.

Mortar attacks

In his statement Mr Blair warned there were many difficulties ahead for Iraq's fledgling democracy.

"But it was moving and humbling for those of us lucky enough to live in a democracy and take it for granted to see the enthusiasm and the simple determination, the clear-sighted courage of millions of Iraqis who came out to vote for the first time in their lives, despite the terrorism despite the threats."

[Democracy] is also a blow right to the heart of the global terrorism Tony Blair

At least 30 people died on Sunday in attacks that centred on Baghdad. Mortars and explosions have been heard in other cities around the country.

Britain's ambassador in Iraq said despite the violence, there was overwhelming support for the elections.

UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said much of the Shia and Kurdish population - accounting for about 80% of all Iraqis - had voted.

There was also evidence of "reasonable turnout" in some Sunni areas, such as Saddam's old stronghold of Tikrit, he said.

He told MPs that nobody had expected the first free elections in 50 years to be perfect but they went far better than many had predicted.

THE IRAQ ELECTION Iraqis will vote for a 275-member transitional assembly Political parties have submitted lists of candidates Every third candidate put forward must be a woman Candidates must be aged at least 30 The election treats the country as one constituency A system of proportional representation will be used The result is expected to be announced around 20 February The assembly will firstly elect a president and two deputies It will then choose a prime minister - the key figure Fighting at Manchester poll

It was a "moving demonstration that democracy and freedom are universal values to which people everywhere aspire," he said.

Tory spokesman Michael Ancram said the election was a positive step towards a stable Iraq and that turnout had apparently surpassed that of Britain's last general elections.

It was good for Iraq, the Middle East and for freedom, he added.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell said it would be churlish not salute the courage of ordinary Iraqis.

But he warned: "We would be wise to accept the judgment of [UN Secretary General] Kofi Annan that this was merely the beginning."

Count

UK troops supported Iraqi security forces at polling stations in the south of the country.

Of 150,000 Iraqis living in the UK who were eligible to vote, 30,961 registered.

Electors were voting for a 275-member assembly which will choose a president for Iraq and the make-up of a government headed by a prime minister.

In the UK, Metropolitan Police Superintendent Steve Deehan said 80 officers had been deployed to cordon off two demonstrations staged separately by the Hizb ut-Tahrir group and the Iraqi Communist Party.

The count is expected to start on Tuesday with the result expected later in February.