VOA标准英语2010年-Iraq's Slow Vote Count Leads to Disput

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Iraqi policemen stand guard in front of an election campaign poster for former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi at a checkpoint in Baghdad, 17 Mar¹ 2010

A new frontrunner has emerged in the ongoing² vote tally³ from Iraq's March 7 parliamentary elections.  But as the cross-sectarian coalition⁴ of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi pulls slightly ahead of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's bloc⁵, complaints about vote-counting irregularities increase.

Mr. Allawi's Iraqiya took the lead for the first time in the popular vote.  But Mr. Maliki's State of Law coalition continues to be ahead in the projected number of seats in the next parliament.

Various groups have alleged⁶ fraud and other problems with the vote counting in the past ten days.  

Until recently, Prime Minister Maliki had rejected such accusations⁷.  Now, he and his allies are the ones calling foul⁸ and demanding a recount. 

Hussein el-Taaie, a spokesman for the High Electoral Commission, acknowledges there have been complaints, and says they will be investigated.

Twenty percent of the domestic vote remains⁹ to be counted, as do the overseas votes and more than a half million ballots¹⁰ cast in early voting. 

The results so far reinforce predictions that no group will gain an outright¹¹ majority.

State of Law and Iraqiya have positioned themselves as secular¹² centrists, ready to put the sectarian divisions of recent years behind them.

Representatives of both parties have begun talking about the inevitable¹³ realignments that will be needed to form a government.

Iraqiya spokesman Salim el-Jabouri says his bloc is willing to hold talks with all parties.

But he says no decision will be made without consultations¹⁴ with everyone in the bloc.

Once all the votes are counted, more challenges can be made.  Eventually, the results will be certified¹⁵ by election officials, and the new coalition building will begin in earnest.

Kurdish groups and candidates representing anti-American Shi'ite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, who made a strong showing, could play a key role in such negotiations¹⁶.