At least three people were killed and dozens injured when a car bomb went off in the Iraqi city of Najaf hours before Sunday's pivotal parliamentary elections, CNN said.

At least 54 people, 37 of them Iranians, were injured in the blast near the Imam Ali Holy Shrine.

The blast is the most recent in a series of attacks which took place despite heavy measures to provide security at the elections, widely seen as a crucial precursor to a complete US military withdrawal from the country.

On Thursday, a total of 12 people were killed in the blasts which took place during the early voting for those unable to cast their ballots in Sunday's polls.

Some 18.5 million people are expected to go more than 80,000 polling stations across Iraq when the vote begins at 8:00 local time on Sunday (6:00 GMT). They will choose among 6,292 candidates from 12 coalition blocs and 165 political units, who will run for 325 seats in the Iraqi parliament.

"Iraq is now at a crossroads: one road leads to peace, the other — to chaos," professor Hazem al-Nuaimi told RIA Novosti. "The increasing political tensions and instability show that the fight for power between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds is far from being over."

He said that political tensions in the country might further aggravate after the elections as parties will try to form a parliamentary majority coalition.

"The 12 months after the elections will be crucial. We can be optimistic about Iraq's future only after we overcome this period," he said.

The country's national security advisor, Safa Hussein, said the parliament is unlikely to come to a consensus and form a government until July. He, however, pledged "rapid progress" in the country once the government is formed.

MOSCOW, March 7 (RIA Novosti)