Iraqis in Syria go to the polls

Iraqis in Syria began voting Friday in their country's parliamentary elections.

The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has prepared voting materials for 300,000 Iraqis in Syria, where a total of 23 voting stations have been opened, dpa reported.

Haidar Allawi, head of the IHEC bureau in Damascus, told the German Press Agency dpa that "the momentum at polling stations has been high, particularly in the early hours of the afternoon."

"The voting is progressing with no problems reported, and is going along as planned," Allawi said.

Shahira Kazziha, an observer with the Arab League, told dpa "We found procedures to be accurate, efficient, and legal. We visited a large number of polling stations and they were all following regulations."

Voting will continue on March 6 and 7. The elections in Iraq are on Sunday.

Some voters have expressed dissatisfaction to the media regarding complications in the voting process, particularly the requirement of two documents for identification.

Voters are required to present a primary form of identification such as a password as well as a supporting document. Voters expressed difficulty obtaining a supporting document outside of Iraq.

There are around 1.2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria.