Allawi’s INL contests election results

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Former Iraqi premier Iyad Allawi’s list contested the results of the local elections announced on Thursday by Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission, accusing “powerful parties” of rigging and the IHEC of being “not independent”. “Initial results that we received from observers during the vote count are totally different from those announced by the IHEC,” Jamal Betekh, the spokesman for the Iraqi National List (INL) told IraqiNews.com news agency. “Powerful parties in the state have rigged the votes,” he said, terming the IHEC as “anything but independent because it takes its orders from the state”. He pointed out that the INL will challenge the election results. The IHEC on Thursday (Feb. 5) announced 90% of the results of the provincial council elections held on Saturday (Jan. 31). Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) coalition has dominated the votes in nine out of the 14 provinces where elections were held. The best thing achieved by the INL was the second position in Salah al-Din province and fourth in Baghdad, Diala, Wassit and al-Qadissiya. AmR (P) 1