By Lolo Laroche in Bagdad.

Millions of Iraqis defied a surge of bombings and suicide attacks yesterday to go to the polls in greater than expected numbers for the first democratic elections for 50 years.

Numbers from the Shia Muslim community in southern Iraq and the Kurds in the north were particularly high.
In Sunni areas in central Iraq the picture was mixed, with many either opposed or too afraid to vote.

Sadly, 30 people were killed on election day, before they cast their votes.

They joined, so to speak, an estimated 6.5 percent of the population who failed to turn up to vote because they were dead: 3% who were killed by Saddams forces over the last 30 years, and a further 3.5% who have died since the US led invasion of the country.