Early reports suggest tight race in Iraq
Top story: Iraq's election commission is expected to announce partial results from last week's parliamentary elections, but early reports suggest a close race between Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's political coalition, former prime minister Ayad Allawi's Iraqiya coalition, and the Shiite Iraqi National Alliance. If current trends hold, Maliki's party is likely to win a plurality of the votes, with Allawi coming a close second.
Meanwhile the announcement of the results has been held up by Shiite leader Ahmed Chalabi's demand that parties be given a full accounting of the votes in order to address any irregularities.
The close early results suggest that Iraq's election drama is nowhere near over. “Whatever the end results, we know it will be a fierce struggle to form a government,” one official told the New York Times.
Kurdish parties are also expected to finish strong and maintain their seats in parliament, potentially acting as kingmaker as Maliki or a challenger struggle to form a majority.
Wealth: Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim has passed Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to become the world's richest person.
Meanwhile the announcement of the results has been held up by Shiite leader Ahmed Chalabi's demand that parties be given a full accounting of the votes in order to address any irregularities.
The close early results suggest that Iraq's election drama is nowhere near over. “Whatever the end results, we know it will be a fierce struggle to form a government,” one official told the New York Times.
Kurdish parties are also expected to finish strong and maintain their seats in parliament, potentially acting as kingmaker as Maliki or a challenger struggle to form a majority.
Wealth: Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim has passed Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to become the world's richest person.
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-By Joshua Keating |  |
AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images
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