No Hot Races, Only Hot Weather as Iraqis Cast First Vote Under Hussein

In blistering heat, Iraqis voted Friday in tightly controlled local elections--the first to be held during Saddam Hussein’s presidency.

Many men donned Arab headdresses, and women wore scarves and carried bottles of water at the polling stations as the temperature reached 118 degrees.

“I have a lot of work at home, but I wanted to vote, hoping to help my candidate win,” said Khawla Adnan, 30, holding the hands of her two sons.

The government kept campaigning to a minimum.

Candidates were forbidden to hold rallies, publish manifestoes or speak on television. They could only knock on doors and canvass voters in the street.

The councils have little power. Their function is basically to recommend moves to local officials appointed by the central government.

They offer advice on services such as electricity, water and sewage.

Yet some voters said they thought the elections could produce results.

“It feels good to be able to choose the person you think is right for the job,” said Mohammed Nizar, 19. “A lot of services need repairs and improvements.”

Candidates were either members of the ruling Arab Baath Socialist Party or independents. In many districts, several Baathists ran against each other.

Results are expected today.

Turnout was hard to judge. Baghdad polling stations were virtually empty in the morning, partly because Friday is the Muslim Sabbath, but numbers picked up during the day.

In the early afternoon two of the city’s polling stations had lines of hundreds of voters.

The evening news on Iraqi state television showed voters arriving in ones and twos in the city.

State television said there was a large turnout in the provinces, but there was no independent verification.

More than 10 million Iraqis were eligible to vote for councilors in the country’s 15 provinces, 82 cities and 132 towns.

The last time all local councils were simultaneously reappointed was in 1972.

Since then, the ruling party has appointed new members as vacancies have arisen.