Voter Fraud Alleged in Anbar ProvinceFebruary 05, 2009
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
BAGHDAD - Iraqi officials moved to quell rising tensions between rival Sunni Arab factions in once-restive Anbar province Wednesday by recounting some of the ballots that were cast in last Saturday's provincial elections, even before the official results are known.
The Independent High Electoral Commission in Baghdad said it had acted after Sunni tribal leaders accused the province's ruling Iraqi Islamic Party of rigging the vote.
"The committee came in today to investigate the allegations of forgery," said Aqeel al-Mashhadani, the spokesman for the Independent High Electoral Commission in Anbar. "They recounted several boxes today."
Many signs of voting fraud were reported. Poll workers at five centers told McClatchy Newspapers that they saw Iraqi Islamic Party loyalists filling out blank ballots for registered voters who didn't show and stuffing the ballot box. In one case, a poll worker said he was asked to fill out the ballots himself.
In another, a polling center employee said that he was ordered to leave at the end of the day so that party loyalists could fill in the ballots of voters who didn't show up.
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