Iraq Votes

The polls are closed and it wasn’t the carnage some were expecting it to be. True, it is quite disturbing to wake up to the sound of mortars on elections day. But that’s not surprising, this is Baghdad after all. Bottom line, Iraq has voted for the second full-term parliament since 2003 despite the threats, the intimidations, the chaos, the interference, and the “de-baathification” saga by the “not so” independent…

The Results

If you are trying to figure out who won and who lost in Iraq’s first bid round, consider this: 22 companies have participated in the licensing round making offers for six oil fields and one gas field, as leaders or members of consortia. One gas field, Mansuriya had no takers. China’s CNPC was the most aggressive taking part in 5 offerings followed by Malaysia’s Petronas which targeted 4. Oil majors…

Oil Provinces Offer High Stakes in Iraqi Poll

30 January 2009 Iraqis go to the polls on Saturday to choose their local council representatives for the next four years, in the second such elections held in postwar Iraq. The outcome will reflect the balance of power between the major political parties across 14 of the country’s 18 provinces and give an indication of the shape of things to come as Iraq prepares for its next parliamentary elections, most…