Partial results from Iraq's election show Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's coalition ahead in Baghdad, which accounts for 20% of parliament's seats.Although there are still no results from seven of Iraq's 18 provinces, partial counts released so far this week show Mr Maliki leading in five. He is followed closely by the former prime minister, Iyad Allawi, who heads a coalition of Sunni and Shia groups. There have been complaints about the pace of the count for the 7 March poll. Final results are not expected for another fortnight, after which there is expected to be a long process of coalition-building.
Partial results from Iraq's election show Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's coalition ahead in Baghdad, which accounts for 20% of parliament's seats.
Although there are still no results from seven of Iraq's 18 provinces, partial counts released so far this week show Mr Maliki leading in five.
He is followed closely by the former prime minister, Iyad Allawi, who heads a coalition of Sunni and Shia groups.
There have been complaints about the pace of the count for the 7 March poll.
Final results are not expected for another fortnight, after which there is expected to be a long process of coalition-building.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held a wide lead on Saturday in early results from Baghdad, the major prize in a tight election race that Iraqis hope will bring stability after years of sectarian conflict. But partial results from 11 of Iraq's 18 provinces, representing only a small fraction of the vote, showed a contest too close to call six days after the March 7 polls and suggested weeks or months of horse-trading ahead to form a government. Maliki's State of Law coalition is leading among three top rivals as electoral officials slowly release initial figures. A cross-sectarian, secularist list headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is running second, and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a rival to Maliki among Iraq's Shi'ite majority, is a close third.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held a wide lead on Saturday in early results from Baghdad, the major prize in a tight election race that Iraqis hope will bring stability after years of sectarian conflict.
But partial results from 11 of Iraq's 18 provinces, representing only a small fraction of the vote, showed a contest too close to call six days after the March 7 polls and suggested weeks or months of horse-trading ahead to form a government.
Maliki's State of Law coalition is leading among three top rivals as electoral officials slowly release initial figures.
A cross-sectarian, secularist list headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is running second, and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a rival to Maliki among Iraq's Shi'ite majority, is a close third.
