ACE Electoral News

ACE Electoral News

Iraq's election race tight as results delayed again, BBC (2010)

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had a narrow lead over rival Shi'ites, partial results in Iraq's tight election race showed on Friday, but a secularist challenger remained far ahead in Sunni areas.

Iraq: Political Turmoil Threatens as Votes Are Counted, The Time (2010)

Preliminary returns released on 11 March from four of Iraq's 18 provinces show the incumbent, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, carrying predominantly Shi'ite areas — despite a strong challenge from supporters of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Former U.S.-installed Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a secular Shi'ite who, like Maliki, leads a broad nationalist coalition with strong Sunni Arab representation, appears to have prevailed in predominantly Sunni areas north of Baghdad.

Iraq voters give politicians another chance, BBC (2010)

The current prime Minister has the incumbent's advantage, with the full weight of the state media and the and the government machinery at his disposal while the former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, believes he did better than the preliminary results show.

A week on, Maliki pulls ahead in Iraq race, Reuters (2010)

The Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki pulled ahead in early results of an election Iraqis hoped would end years of sectarian strife, but a divided vote suggested long and fraught talks to form a government are ahead.

Frustration Grows in Iraq at Slow Pace of Vote Tally, The New York Times (2010)

There are now partial preliminary results from each of Iraq’s 18 provinces, and they point to a very close contest. Officials cautioned that only a fraction of the more than 12 million votes had been counted. With the frustration of the slow pace; the United Nations officials said there had been little evidence of large-scale irregularities so far. The elaborate procedures meant to ensure transparency and to catch irregularities are partly responsible for the slow pace of the count.

Iraq’s Premier Endorses a Recount of the Vote, The New York Times (2010)

Mr. Maliki’s statement, which did not directly call for a recount, invoked his position as commander in chief of the military and seemed to imply violence would ensue without a new count, and he said that election officials were obligated to respond to calls for a recount. Ayad Allawi the main competitor showed a slight lead of 11000 votes over the Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki after having 95% of the votes counted. The commission said complete results would be released on 27 March.

Iraq parliamentary election recount 'unnecessary', BBC (2010)

The head of Iraq's election commission has ruled out a manual recount of all the votes in the country's parliamentary election. This comes the day before overall election result is due to be released on Friday 27 March.

Iraq to release full results from March 7 vote, The Washington Post (2010)

Iraq's electoral commission says it will announce full election results as scheduled despite calls for a delay amid fears of violence over the tight race.

In Iraq, 5 die in blasts targeted at Ayad Allawi's political bloc, The Washington Post (2010)

A series of explosions in a border town in western Iraq killed five people on 28 March, including a member of former prime minister Ayad Allawi's political bloc, which won the most seats in Iraq's parliamentary election, Iraqi officials said.

Iraq: Allawi accuses Iran of election interference , BBC (2010)

Iyad Allawi, the man who won Iraq's parliamentary elections, has accused Iran of trying to prevent him from becoming prime minister.

Iran attempts to broker Shia coalition government in Iraq, The Telegraph (2010)

Iran is trying to put together a new coalition government in neighbouring Iraq from Shia parties even though they lost last month's general election.

Security Council Press Statement on Iraq Elections - 31 March 2010, Relief Web (2010)

The members of the Security Council call for the political entities to respect the certified election results and the choices of the Iraqi people, according to the press release issued on 31 March.

Iraq: Baghdad alert after embassy blasts, Aljazeera (2010)

Iraq is on high alert following three co-ordinated suicide car bomb attacks in Baghdad that left at least 30 people dead and hundreds of others wounded. Iraq's foreign ministry said that the attackers were aimed at causing political turmoil following the March 7 parliamentary elections.

'Tough negotiations ahead' for Iraq, Aljazeera (2010)

A TV interview with the US ambassador Christopher Hill on the Iraqi Election that took place on 7 March 2010.

Iraq: Recount of Baghdad election results is ordered, BBC (2010)

Iraq's election commission has ordered a manual recount of votes cast in Baghdad province, after complaints from Prime Minister Nouri Maliki. The recount, ordered by a judicial panel, covers more than 2.5m ballots which account for 68 seats in the 325-seat Council of Representatives.

Dangerous stalemate after Iraqi election, BBC (2010)

More than six weeks after Iraq's inconclusive general elections, the country is still nowhere near having a new government. While there has been much manoeuvring and shadow-boxing since the 7 March poll, serious negotiations to build the coalition needed to gain a parliamentary majority have not even begun.

Discord Over Election, Recount Cloud Iraq's Future, National Public Radio (2010)

Nearly two months after the vote, Iraq's March 7 parliamentary election is still up in the air. Former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's electoral bloc got two more seats than that of incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But just as that result was to be confirmed, an Iraqi judge last week ordered a recount in Baghdad -- which could erase Allawi's lead.

Election Ruling in Iraq Favors Prime Minister as Crisis Grows, New York Times (2010)

Seven weeks after Iraqis went to the polls, a special elections court disqualified a winning parliamentary candidate, most likely reversing the narrow defeat of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s alliance and possibly allowing him the first chance to form a new coalition government.

Iraqiya may call for interim government, new elections, Washington Post (2010)

The Sunni-backed Iraqiya political bloc, which won the most seats in recent parliamentary elections, said Wednesday 28 April that it might call for the establishment of a caretaker government to oversee a new election -- escalating a political crisis. Iraqiya also proposed extending the mandate of the outgoing parliament until a new one is in place, "for the purpose of monitoring the executive branch."

Iraq: Baghdad Vote Recount Begins Monday, VOA News (2010)

Iraq's electoral commission says a recount of votes in Baghdad from the March parliamentary elections will begin Monday and last at least two weeks.