Iraqi PM's bloc leads in seven provinces: partial results of elections

BAGHDAD, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The campaigner bloc led by current Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has taken strong leads in the partial results of parliamentary elections in some key constituencies.

Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on Sunday released partial results of all the 18 provinces for the elections, Maliki took leads in two of Iraq's three biggest constituencies, Baghdad and Basra. Besides, Maliki was ahead in the southern Shiite provinces of Babil, Najaf, Karbala and Muthana, along with Wasit.

The secular list of Iraqia, headed by the former prime minister Ayad Allawi, remains the biggest rival of Maliki as expected by local analysts. The Iraqia was winning in five provinces, including Nineveh, Tamim, Anbar and the mostly Sunni central provinces of Diyala and Salahuddin.

Compared with the above two major blocs, the Iraqi National Alliance led by Shiite cleric groups were leading in Maysan, Diwaniyah and Dhi Qar. Unsurprisingly, the Kurdish bloc was taking lead in three northern provinces of Arbil, Duhuk and Sulaymaniyah.

Observers said the race between Maliki and Allawi could be very close, according to released partial results. However, the Iraqia List has alleged fraud in the elections, saying it had found marked voting papers that had been thrown away and hidden ballot boxes.

Local reports have said Maliki already named a commission to discuss possible coalitions with other blocs for a united government, based on his optimistic assessment of his bloc over the final results of the election.

On March 7, Iraqis made 62.4 percent turnout among more than 18 million eligible voters to cast their ballots in some 8,920 polling centers across the country to vote for the 325-seat Iraqi Council of Representatives out of some 6,300 candidates.