Iraq goes to the polls in the first election since US forces pulled out of the country three years ago.<br /><br />Security is extremely tight as the country is going through its worst period of sectarian violence since 2008.<br /><br />More than 160 people have been killed this week alone.<br /><br />Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is looking to secure a third term despite a growing insurgency in the east:“I call upon all Iraqis to go to the ballot box and participate in large numbers in the election because those who take part in the election have a right to monitor and ask questions.”<br /><br />As many as 50,000 polling stations are operating across the country with 22 million Iraqis registered to vote. <br /><br />The campaign has been marred by violence on Monday 50 people were killed as police and soldiers cast their votes.<br /><br />The streets of the capital Baghdad are deserted as the city is in lockdown.<br /><br />The results are not expected for a while, following the previous poll ten months passed before a new government was formed.
