Iraqi court confirms Allawi won election
Posted 1 hour 28 minutes ago
Iraq's Supreme Court has certified the final results ofa March 7 parliamentary election, affirming the narrow victory of across-sectarian coalition led by former prime minister Iyad Allawi.
Iraqis had hoped the election would help stabilise their nation afteryears of sectarian war.
But the inconclusive vote exposed deep divides and opened the door toinsurgents determined to disrupt the political process.
The high court approval allows electoral blocs to begin seriousnegotiations to form a government after an election that produced noclear winner.
Mr Allawi's Iraqiya list won two more seats than the mainly ShiiteState of Law group headed by prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.
"Based on the articles of the constitution we have decided to approvethe election results," chief judge Midhat al-Mahmoud said.
The ruling will be sent on Tuesday to the presidency council, whichmust call the new parliament into session within 15 days.
Because no coalition won a majority in Iraq's 325-seat parliament,Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish coalitions have been jockeying for position inthe new government.
State of Law, which won 89 seats, has announced a union with thethird-place finisher, the Iraqi National Alliance, to form a single blocin parliament.
Together the two groups would have 159 seats, just short of amajority.
Mr Allawi has warned that an alliance of Shiite groups that tries toexclude Iraqiya, which rode strong support from minority Sunnis to 91seats in parliament, could trigger renewed sectarian violence as UStroops prepare to leave.
- Reuters
Tags: world-politics,iraq