**Early voting has begun for about 750,000 government employees in Iraq’s parliamentary elections.**As members of the security services went to the polls, five people were killed when a roadside bomb went off in Baghdad, it was reported.
The rest of the country will be going to the polls on Sunday. Security is currently on high alert.
On Wednesday, a suicide bombers targeted police and a hospital in Baquba and killed more than 30 people.
More than 6,000 candidates will be competing for 325 seats in the election.
Travel around the country has been restricted and the authorities have cancelled all leave for security services.
On polling day itself, more than 200,000 security personnel will be on duty in Baghdad.
The election will be a security test for the country as the US military is preparing to reduce its presence by around half this summer and withdraw completely from Iraq by 2011.