Iraq PM Maliki in poll lead

INITIAL election results from two mainly Shiite Iraqi provinces put Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in the lead yesterday, as rival blocs voiced doubts over the vote count.

Four days after the election, Maliki and his main secular rival Iyad Allawi have emerged nationally as the main candidates for the top job, with their parties appearing to have fared best in Sunday's polls.

The preliminary figures, which were announced once 30 per cent of votes had been counted in the southern provinces of Najaf and Babil, put Maliki's State of Law Alliance first and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a coalition led by Shiite religious groups, in second place.

The secular Iraqiya alliance of Shiite ex-premier Iyad Allawi was in third place.

Maliki's State of Law Alliance held a lead of around 7,000 votes in Najaf and of 14,000 in Babil, the figures showed.

Complete results are expected to be announced on March 18 and the final ones after any appeals are dealt with will come at the end of the month.

Several blocs called yesterday for individual polling station tally sheets to be published online, expressing concerns the nationwide vote would not be in line with the total from individual stations.

Were the polling station tally sheets posted online, political blocs could check to see if their sum corresponded with the nationwide results tabulated by the election commission.

"I am not saying there has been fraud but we fear that the results could have been modified," said Maysun Damaluji, spokeswoman for Allawi's Iraqiya bloc and a candidate for parliament.

"The count is not being conducted in a proper fashion," Damaluji said, claiming that some party observers had been evicted from counting rooms. No election official was immediately available to comment on the allegations.

The Iraqi National Alliance, a list led by Shia religious parties, added in its own statement that it was concerned over "signs of intentions to change the election results".

"We call on the commission to put the tally sheets of each province on the commission's website so that candidates and political entities will be able to count their votes manually," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Maliki's office said in a statement that he "had a surgical operation by a specialised Iraqi medical team" last Wednesday, adding that he had "left the hospital in good health".

Ali al-Mussawi, an advisor to the prime minister, declined to give details on the surgery when contacted by AFP.

Maliki has emerged as a strong candidate to retain his post, according to estimates AFP obtained from officials, but he could face a tough battle.

Estimates have put his State of Law Alliance ahead in Shia regions, while Allawi, a Shia former premier, led in Sunni areas.

The commander of US forces in Iraq last Tuesday predicted it would take "a couple of months" for leaders to form a post-election government but downplayed fears of instability.

General Ray Odierno said he had been in close touch with Iraqi authorities about ensuring security after the country's second election since the 2003 US-led invasion.

"Clearly we understand that this is a transition time and transitions are always a time of risk," he told US public television.

"But we have worked very hard with the government of Iraq ... to try to ensure that security will remain," he said. "I believe we will be able to do that through this critical period."AFP