The battle to form an Iraqi government was thrown wide open Monday after it was ordered that ballots cast in Baghdad be manually recounted, in a surprise move that could affect who leads the country.
The judicial panel decision came after an appeal by incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki who, according to unofficial results, narrowly lost the March 7 vote to his rival and former premier Iyad Allawi.
Baghdad, with a total of 70 seats, was by far the biggest prize for parties competing in the second national election since the 2003 ouster of Saddam Hussein. The poll will eventually lead to a new parliament comprising 325 MPs. |