Vote count in Jordan's Iraq poll starts

AMMAN, Jordan, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Vote counting in Jordan, where an estimated 16,000 Iraqi expatriates participated in Iraq's first post-Saddam Hussein poll, started Monday.

Ballot boxes were transferred under high security to the headquarters of the International Immigration Organization, which is overseeing the voting of overseas Iraqis in 14 countries around the world.

The boxes were later opened in the presence of the media, as well as observers from political parties and civilian organizations and foreign diplomats.

An IIO spokeswoman said three different teams comprising independent politicians, diplomats and human rights groups would oversee the counting of the votes.

She said no ballot boxes were sent to Jordan from other countries, noting that the vote counting would be done in the various countries where the voting actually took place.

The IIO declared earlier that the turnout among expatriates was as high as 90 percent among 280,000 Iraqis overseas who registered to vote.