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Recount of Baghdad poll ordered Recount of Baghdad poll ordered
(about 8 hours later)
Iraqi election officials have ordered a manual recount of votes cast in Baghdad after complaints from the incumbent prime minister. 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 review panel, covers 68 seats in the 325-seat parliament, and could alter the final result of the poll. 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.
The 7 March election was narrowly won by former PM Iyad Allawi, who leads the Iraqiyya list. Although Mr Maliki's State of Law coalition came first in Baghdad with 26 seats, he had demanded a recount.
But incumbent Nouri Maliki had demanded a recount of votes cast in Baghdad. March's vote was narrowly won by the Iraqiya list of former PM Iyad Allawi.
Electoral commissioner Hamdiya al-Husseini said the manual recount would begin immediately but she was not sure how long it would take. Electoral commissioner Hamdiya al-Husseini said the manual recount would begin immediately, but she was not sure how long it would take.
Mr Maliki had alleged the electronic system of vote counting was unreliable. Mr Maliki had alleged that the electronic system of vote counting was unreliable.
Mr Allawi's group won 91 seats, two more than Mr Maliki's State of Law coalition, sparking weeks of negotiations between parties to form a coalition government.Mr Allawi's group won 91 seats, two more than Mr Maliki's State of Law coalition, sparking weeks of negotiations between parties to form a coalition government.
The leader of the group with the biggest number of seats will probably become prime minister. The leader of the group with the biggest number of seats will be asked to form a government.
But the negotiations to form a working majority for a coalition will be further delayed by this decision, the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says.But the negotiations to form a working majority for a coalition will be further delayed by this decision, the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says.
Al-Iraqiyya (Iraqi National Movement): Nationalist bloc led by former PM Iyad Allawi, a secular Shia, includes Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, and senior Sunni politician Saleh al-MutlaqState of Law: Led by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and his Shia Islamist Daawa Party, the alliance purportedly cuts across religious and tribal lines, includes some Sunni tribal leaders, Shia Kurds, Christians and independentsIraqi National Alliance: Shia-led bloc includes followers of the radical cleric, Moqtada Sadr, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, and the Fadhilah Party, along with ex-PM Ibrahim Jaafari and Ahmad ChalabiKurdish alliance: Coalition dominated by the two parties administering Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region - the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, led by President Jalal TalabaniAl-Iraqiyya (Iraqi National Movement): Nationalist bloc led by former PM Iyad Allawi, a secular Shia, includes Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, and senior Sunni politician Saleh al-MutlaqState of Law: Led by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and his Shia Islamist Daawa Party, the alliance purportedly cuts across religious and tribal lines, includes some Sunni tribal leaders, Shia Kurds, Christians and independentsIraqi National Alliance: Shia-led bloc includes followers of the radical cleric, Moqtada Sadr, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, and the Fadhilah Party, along with ex-PM Ibrahim Jaafari and Ahmad ChalabiKurdish alliance: Coalition dominated by the two parties administering Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region - the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, led by President Jalal Talabani