Baghdad: Partial preliminary results from
four of 18 provinces in Iraq show the prime minister's bloc
and a secular challenger winning two provinces each.
Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission says the
secular coalition led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has
the lead in the former insurgent strongholds of Diyala and
Salahuddin, north of Baghdad.
Today's announcement came hours after the commission said
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was ahead in two mainly Shiite
provinces in southern Iraq.
Final results are not expected for days. But the early
results foreshadow a tight contest.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 12, 2010, 23:45