Queues formed at many polling stations across Iraqi Kurdistan even before polls opened at 8.00 am (0500 GMT) and they lengthened during the day as the entrance into the fray of a new opposition party added interest to the contest.

The regional president is being chosen by popular vote for the first time but incumbent Massud Barzani is tipped to retain the post, while his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are expected to sweep the parliamentary poll.

However, an enthusiastic cross-section of voters appear to be backing Nusherwan Mustafa, a wealthy entrepreneur and former PUK deputy leader who is bidding to break the PUK-KDP duopoly, as are a raft of small parties.

Kurds are increasingly concerned about corruption, with many voicing support for change after decades of PUK and KDP dominance.

"This is the first time in my life I feel that I'm actually participating in elections that offer choice and real competition," said Zeez Ahmad Hassan, a 44-year-old engineer in Sulaimaniyah, the region's second city after Arbil.

Hassan said he would be voting for Mustafa, leader of the opposition Change party, because "Kurdistan badly needs change and renewal."

But Shilan Othman, 36, told AFP that she would be voting for the joint PUK-KDP list, saying its "victory is as clear as the light of the sun in a blue sky."

Security was tight at polling stations across Kurdistan, despite the relative safety of the region compared to the rest of Iraq.

Voting was extended by one hour until 7.00 pm (1600 GMT) after Iraq's electoral commission received complaints from voters who could not find their names on electoral lists.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki described the votes as "another step in building a democratic Iraq" and added that the elections "provide an opportunity to resolve all problems."

Talabani, former deputy prime minister Barham Saleh and Mustafa cast their votes in Sulaimaniyah, while Barzani voted at a summer resort north of the regional capital Arbil.

Kurdistan currently comprises the three provinces of Arbil, Sulaimaniyah and Dohuk.

"We hope that these elections will be a first step to solving issues with Baghdad," Barzani told reporters after voting.

"I will work to get back the disputed areas."

In the run-up to the vote tensions heightened between Barzani and the central government over Kurdish claims to 16 disputed areas along Kurdistan's border with the rest of Iraq.

Barzani insisted during campaigning he will not "compromise" on the Kurds' longstanding claims to the disputed oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

Kurdish peshmerga rebels who had fought the regime of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein are now deployed alongside Iraqi army soldiers, triggering a tense face-off that has raised the prospect of armed conflict.

Disagreements over oil rights have hamstrung exploitation of much of Iraq's massive proven reserves and long-delayed hydrocarbons law, prompting fierce Kurdish criticism.

On June 1, the Kurdish administration began exporting oil for the first time, but Baghdad is contesting the region's right to sign contracts without central government approval.

During a visit to Washington on Thursday, Maliki acknowledged that these disputes are among "the most dangerous issues" facing his government, but said he expects to resolve the standoff.

Saturday's vote was held six months after provincial elections took place in the rest of Iraq, except for Kirkuk, where a date for polls has yet to be set.

More than 2.5 million Kurds are eligible to vote. Final results are not expected for several days, as ballots must be collected in the regional capital Arbil before being transported to Baghdad for the count.

Five candidates have registered for the presidential race, including Barzani, while 24 political lists will contest the 111 seats in the assembly which first convened in 1992.