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Kurdish Man Sings After Casting Vote in Independence Referendum

People across Iraqi Kurdistan cast their vote on September 25 in a non-binding independence referendum organized by the Kurdistan Regional Government.

This video shows a man singing a religious song after voting at a polling station said to be in Aqrah, in Kurdistan’s Dohuk Governorate. After the song ends, the man leaves while saying, “biji Kurdistan” (“long live Kurdistan”).

The vote went ahead despite opposition from Baghdad, the United States, and other countries in the region. An estimated 5.2 million people were eligible to vote, including those living abroad who were able to vote electronically from September 23.

A strong vote in favor of independence was expected, but the result will not be binding. Instead, it is intended as a mandate for Massoud Barzani, the regional president, to use in secession negotiations. Credit: Facebook/Rudaw Kurmanci via Storyful