Iraqis urge incoming gov't to live up to its promises

Polls for Iraq's parliamentary election closed on Sunday, ending 10 hours of balloting by 19 million people. Though the results remain uncertain, Iraqis have begun to urge the incoming government to live up to its promises.

The election is regarded as a test for the country's wobbly democracy and ability of security forces to maintain order before US troops withdraw in 2011.

About 6,200 candidates from 86 factions are vying for 325 parliamentary seats. No bloc is expected to win a majority, and it may take months to form a government, risking a vacuum that armed groups such as al Qaeda offshoot might exploit.

An Iraqi woman casts her ballot at a polling center for the Iraqi elections, in Amman, Jordan, Sunday, March 7, 2010. (AP Photo / Mohammad Abu Ghosh)