Iraqis voted for a new parliament on Tuesday at a pivotal time for the country and the wider region, in an election that both Iran and the United States will be closely watching.

Iraq, which has long been a fertile land for proxy wars, has only recently regained a sense of stability, as it tries to move past decades of war since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

But even now, the country of 46 million people suffers from poor infrastructure, failing public services, mismanagement and endemic corruption.

Polling stations closed at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT), with preliminary results expected within 24 hours of closing.

Yet many have lost hope that elections can bring meaningful change to their daily lives and see the vote as a sham that only benefits political elites and regional

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