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| Iraq |
| Iraq's election body rejects PM's recount plea |
| 2010-03-22 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Iraq's electoral commission rejected on Sunday a request by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki calling for a manual recount of votes cast in the country's March 7 polls after new results revealed his bloc was trailing a main rival. "We have provided all political entities with CDs with the results of counting at the political centers, after thorough checks on our part," commission chief Faraj al-Haidari told AFP. "If they have doubts and think that there are errors, they can ask us to hold recounts at particular centers, but not across all of Iraq," he added. "Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki calls for the high electoral commission to immediately answer the demands of political parties to proceed with a manual recount," the statement said. Latest figures by Iraq's election commission and based on 92 percent of ballots counted show Maliki's State of Law Alliance trailing the bloc of his main rival, Iyad Allawi, by 7,928 votes. The statement added, noting that Maliki remained head of the country's armed forces, that he wanted a recount to "protect political stability, avoid a degradation of the security situation and prevent a return to violence." The statement did not specify whether he wanted a nationwide recount, or of particularly provinces. It differs markedly from Maliki's own comments just a week ago, when he said on television that election complaints were "very small" in nature and "cannot affect the results." A "clear threat" The bloc led by Maliki's main rival responded by accusing him of making a "clear threat" against the election commission. "This is a clear threat against the commission that aims to put pressure on it, in order to carry out fraud in favour of (Maliki's) State of Law Alliance" said Intisar Allawi, a senior candidate of the Iraqiya bloc headed by Iyad Allawi. She added that Maliki's statement Sunday calling for a manual recount was a "contradiction" that was fuelled by news that Iraqiya had taken the lead in the nationwide vote tally. "While he says that the election is accurate, fair and transparent, when Iraqiya takes the lead, he accuses the commission," said Intisar Allawi, a relative of Iraqiya's leader. She noted that a manual recount "would mean a delay of the results for several months. This would lead to a political vacuum that would affect the security situation. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Call Al Gore -- he'll know what to do. |
| Posted by: trailing wife on the other computer 2010-03-22 12:35 |
| #1 They must be using Diebold voting machines. /Moonbat conspiracy (i.e. sore loser) division |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2010-03-22 11:14 |