Iraq Election Results in Doubt as Winners Face Disqualification

[tekisui]

Source: Times Online

Iraq’s election results could be called into question today, as a committee that seeks out members of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime is set to call for the disqualification of some candidates who won parliamentary seats on March 7.

The Justice and Accountability Commission, which recommended that hundreds of candidates be barred before the polls, did not specify yesterday how many elected candidates it would now try to dismiss. Ayad Allawi, leader of the winning bloc, warned over the weekend that it might seek to disqualify more candidates from his Iraqia grouping.

Mr Allawi’s secular bloc narrowly beat the grouping led by the Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, in the elections, with 91 seats to 89, but the numbers meant that Mr Allawi would still need coalition partners to form a government.

Mr al-Maliki has refused to accept the results, although they were endorsed by the UN and the US, and gave a TV interview last night in which he attacked Ad Melkert, the UN envoy, accusing him of failing to address fraud. The process has been marred by violence and a prominent member of a party that supports Mr Allawi was killed in Anbar province yesterday.

The commission was responsible for purging Saddam Hussein’s Baathists from positions of power after the 2003 US-led invasion, but its recent revival — backed by Mr al-Maliki — appeared to be highly politicised. After barring hundreds of candidates, it had tried to disqualify another 55 immediately before the polls, too late to remove their names from ballot papers.

Mr Allawi’s Iraqia bloc has repeatedly complained of being the target of the commission. Security officials expressed concern that the exclusions of Sunni or secular candidates deepened Iraq’s sectarian divides.

Bombs apparently aimed at members of the winning coalition killed six yesterday, including Ghanim Radhi, a prominent member of the Solution Movement which backs Mr Allawi. A series of blasts hit Qaim, about 200 miles (320km) west of Baghdad and on the border with Syria. No group claimed responsibility, but extremist groups who aim to exacerbate tensions are active in Anbar province.

more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article7079607.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797093

[howard112211]

1. The winner will be whoever the Obama administration backs. nt

[howard112211]

2. Shit. Accidentally hit unrec :-(

[msongs]

3. thanks to bush we are in the middle of their 1000 year old religious war nt