Iraq PM in tight race as opposition alleges fraud (AFP)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) –

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was locked in a tight contest to hold on to his job on Friday, as election results from Iraq's polls trickled in and opposition blocs alleged blatant fraud.

Maliki faces a strong challenge from ex-premier Iyad Allawi, whose secular Iraqiya bloc has emerged as the strongest challenger to the incumbent's hopes of retaining his post, initial voting figures showed.

Iraqiya has alleged that fraud took place during Sunday's polls in favour of Maliki's State of Law Alliance, a charge dismissed by the latter bloc as exaggerated.

"There has been clear and flagrant fraud," charged Intisar Allawi, a senior Iraqiya candidate and relative of the former prime minister.

"There were persons who manipulated or changed the figures to increase the vote in favour of the State of Law Alliance." Related article: Kurds denounce call for Arab to be Iraq president

She said Iraqiya's own election observers had found ballot papers in garbage dumps in the northern disputed province of Kirkuk.

But Hassan Sinaid, a senior State of Law candidate, described those claims as "exaggerated."

"This is propaganda from certain lists. The elections took place in a good atmosphere and the results reflect the views of the Iraqi people," he said.

Meanwhile, the national election commission said the claims of fraud were either politically motivated or fuelled by a misunderstanding of the counting procedures.

But it would still investigate any complaints it received.

"We are used to receiving these accusations from political blocs because either they do not know our procedures or they have not had good results in the election," said Iyad al-Kinaani, an Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) official.

"That is why they are talking about fraud."

A Western diplomat agreed with Kinaani's account, noting that "the complexity of the election explains the accusations made by different parties."

"We are relatively relaxed because there have been fewer complaints then the last election (in 2005) and fewer ballot boxes have been put in quarantine," the diplomat said, on condition of anonymity.

"There is no reason to get worried at this time."

Qassim al-Abboudi, a senior IHEC official, added, referring to Iraqiya, that "one political entity ... rushed to publish incorrect facts."

On Thursday, Hamdiyah al-Husseini, another election official, said the IHEC had received around 1,000 complaints over the vote, but did not provide further details.

Meanwhile, initial results from four of Iraq's 18 provinces released on Thursday showed Maliki and Allawi were locked in a tight race for the top job.

Preliminary figures for Najaf, Babil, Diyala and Salaheddin put the State of Law Alliance ahead in the first two provinces, while Iraqiya was in front in the latter pair.

In southern Maysan province, the Iraqi National Alliance, a coalition led by Shiite religious parties, was in the lead, with 24 percent of votes counted. State of Law was second, with Iraqiya third.

Both blocs claimed to have made a strong showing nationwide, based on their own internal calculations, with Iraqiya claiming to have won 90 seats, while State of Law said it had taken around 100.

In the autonomous region of Kurdistan, the Kurdistania alliance, made up of the region's two long-dominant parties, was in the lead in Arbil province with 27 percent of votes counted.

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

Analysts have predicted protracted coalition building, as no single grouping is expected to win the 163 seats necessary to form a government on its own.

General Ray Odierno, the commander of US forces in Iraq, said on Tuesday he had been in close touch with Iraqi authorities about ensuring security after the country's second parliamentary election since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Security officials have expressed concern that a long period of coalition building could give insurgent groups and Al-Qaeda an opportunity to destabilise Iraq by carrying out attacks.

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