Challenger Overtakes Iraq PM in Overall Vote Count

[IndianaGreen]

Source: NY Times

Challenger Overtakes Iraq PM in Overall Vote Count

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 16, 2010

Filed at 7:19 p.m. ET

BAGHDAD (AP) -- A secular coalition challenging the Iraqi prime minister in the country's historic parliamentary elections has narrowly pulled ahead for the first time in the overall vote count, although it still trails in the crucial province-by-province count.

The Iraqiya coalition, led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, seemed to be gaining momentum, taking a 9,000 vote lead nationwide, according to new totals released late Tuesday. But with about 20 percent of the votes still to be counted from the March 7 election, it was unclear whether that margin would give Allawi more seats in parliament, which will determine who will lead the government.

The news came as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his State of Law coalition accused election officials of manipulating vote counts and called for a re-count, a candidate from his bloc said. It was the prime minister's first challenge to the results, and his bloc drew a link between its accusations and Allawi, accusing some electoral commission staff of having allegiances to groups backing al-Maliki's rival.

Iraq's vote counting has been winding and chaotic, with ballot results being portioned out piecemeal by election officials and almost immediately subject to fraud accusations. The winner will be tasked with forming a government that will oversee the country as U.S. forces go home.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/16/world/AP-ML-Iraq.html?_r=1

[bemildred]

1. Allawi, Chalabi, Maliki, a pretty exciting bunch.

:puke:

[IndianaGreen]

2. Chalabi is an opportunist, and occasional Iran collaborator. Maliki is an Iranian puppet.

Allawi is secular, and our new Saddam to keep religious wackos in check. Wackos like al-Sadr.

We broke Iraq, and we bought it.

[tcaudilllg]

4. "Wackos like al-Sadr" -- Ha ha ha ha

[Jennicut]

9. Lovely group to choose from.

Allawi seems like the least worst choice, I guess.

[TankLV]

6. You forgot to mention Chewbaka

[ShortnFiery]

8. Chalabi? Shit! I almost forgot about that joker. eom

[IndianaGreen]

3. Iraq's al-Maliki sees lead slipping away, demands recount (WaPo)

Iraq's al-Maliki sees lead slipping away, demands recount

By Leila Fadel
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, March 16, 2010; 7:17 PM

BAGHDAD -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki saw his political coalition's lead in Iraq' parlimentary elections slip on Tuesday. He charged that the national electoral commission was manipulating results and demanded a recount in Baghdad, home to the nation's largest group of voters.

Maliki's State of Law bloc has seen its lead narrow with 79 percent of the ballots from the March 7 parliamentary elections counted. Its fiercest competition has come from secular Shiite Ayad Allawi, a former prime minister who heads the Iraqiya bloc, favored by Sunni Arabs. News services reported that Allawi's coalition moved ahead in the popular vote count on Tuesday, though it was still behind in the more important province-by-province results, which determine how seats in parliament are apportioned.

There have been a series of fraud accusations against the election commission, but Tuesday's action marked the first time the incumbent prime minister had weighed in. His coalition leads in seven of Iraq's 18 provinces, including Baghdad, which has the most seats in parliament, and the Shiite southern province of Basra, which is rich in oil.

A narrow lead would make it harder for Maliki to garner allies he needs to form a coalition government. The political jockeying could go on for months, widen sectarian rifts and spark violence as U.S. troops draw down.

The election commission has been facing hundreds of accusations of fraud, mostly from the prime minister's rivals. The delay in final results and the chaotic release of information have spurred numerous complaints of wrongdoing and incompetence.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/16/AR2010031601158.html?hpid=topnews

[DebbieCDC]

5. Gee if "our guy" Maliki is losing and wants a recount

Maybe "our" Supreme Court can step in and end the vote counting.

Oh wait, Bush v. Gore can't be used as a precedent...

Well Nouri old pal, I guess you're on your own.

on edit: sp.

[sad sally]

7. hmm...guess the US influence in Iraq is alive and well.

manipulated vote counts, re-counts, challenges, accusations of fraud - sound familiar?

[JCMach1]

10. Sadr andCo. are now the kingmakers in the parliament...