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Election Recount Starts in Iraqi Capital

   VOA News 03 May 2010
   Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is seen during an interview with
   The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010.

Photo: AP

   Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (file)

   Iraqi  officials  have begun a recount of votes cast in Baghdad during
   the country's recent parliamentary election.
   The  recount  was requested by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki after he
   alleged  widespread  fraud in five provinces, including Baghdad during
   the March 7 ballot.
   Officials  from  the  United Nations and the Iraqi election commission
   are  monitoring  the manual recount, which is expected to last between
   two and three weeks.
   However,  soon  after  the start of the recount, Mr. Maliki's State of
   Law  Alliance  complained  that  the  recount  was not being conducted
   properly.  The complaint could lead to another delay.
   The  Iraqi  capital  accounts  for  nearly  a fifth of Iraq's 325-seat
   parliament.
   In the original vote, Mr. Maliki's alliance won in Baghdad by just two
   seats  more  than  the  Iraqiya alliance of former Prime Minister Ayad
   Allawi.   However,  in  the overall vote, Mr. Allawi's alliance has a
   narrow lead of two parliamentary seats.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP.

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