Iraq PM in tight contest with ex-premier for poll lead
Posted: 12 March 2010 0240 hrs

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BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was in a tight contest to keep his job as he vied with ex-premier Iyad Allawi, initial election results from four of the country's 18 provinces showed Thursday.

Four days after the election, Maliki and Allawi, both Shiite, have emerged nationally as the main candidates for the post of prime minister, with their blocs appearing to have fared best in Sunday's polls.

The preliminary figures, which were announced once 30 per cent of votes had been counted in the southern provinces of Najaf and Babil, put Maliki's State of Law Alliance first and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a coalition led by Shiite religious groups, in second place.

Allawi's secular Iraqiya alliance was in third place.

The State of Law Alliance held a lead of around 7,000 votes in Najaf and of 14,000 in Babil, the figures showed.

An election official later added that Iraqiya was in the lead in Diyala and Salaheddin, two majority Sunni provinces north of Baghdad, with 17 per cent of votes counted.

"Allawi is in the lead in Diyala and Salaheddin," Iyad al-Kinaani, an official in Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission said.

"In Diyala, he is followed by the INA and Maliki. In Salaheddin, Allawi is followed by (Interior Minister Jawad) Bolani and then Maliki."

Bolani is at the head of the Iraqi Unity Alliance, a cross-sectarian secular coalition.

Complete results are expected to be announced on March 18 and the final ones - after any appeals are dealt with - will come at the end of the month.

Analysts have predicted protracted coalition building, as no single grouping is expected to win the 163 seats necessary to form a government on its own.

Several blocs called on Thursday for individual polling station tally sheets to be published online, expressing concerns the nationwide vote would not be in line with the total from individual stations.

Were the polling station tally sheets posted online, political blocs could check to see if their sum corresponded with the nationwide results tabulated by the election commission.

"I am not saying there has been fraud but we fear that the results could have been modified," said Maysun Damaluji, spokeswoman for the Iraqiya bloc and a candidate for parliament.

"The count is not being conducted in a proper fashion," Damaluji said, claiming that some party observers had been evicted from counting rooms. No election official was immediately available to comment on the allegations.

The INA added in its own statement that it was concerned over "signs of intentions to change the election results."

"We call on the commission to put the tally sheets of each province on the commission's website so that candidates and political entities will be able to count their votes manually," it said.

Meanwhile, Maliki's office said in a statement that he "had a surgical operation by a specialised Iraqi medical team" on Wednesday, adding that he had "left the hospital in good health."

Ali al-Mussawi, an advisor to the prime minister, declined to give details on the surgery when contacted by AFP.

Maliki has emerged as a strong candidate to retain his post, according to estimates AFP obtained from officials, but he could face a tough battle.

Estimates have put his State of Law Alliance ahead in Shiite regions, while Allawi led in Sunni areas.

The commander of US forces in Iraq on Tuesday predicted it would take "a couple of months" for leaders to form a post-election government but downplayed fears of instability.

General Ray Odierno said he had been in close touch with Iraqi authorities about ensuring security after the country's second election since the 2003 US-led invasion.

President Barack Obama earlier paid tribute to the "courage and resilience" of Iraqi voters who posted a 62.4 per cent turnout despite the violence.

- AFP/yb