U.S. Officials Meet Iraqi Leader After Recount Call

[Bumper64]

Published: March 22, 2010

The two top American officials in Iraq met Monday with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki after his endorsement over the weekend of a recount in the parliamentary elections incited fears of a political crisis in a country not accustomed to peaceful transfers of power.

In the political vacuum created by the delay in the tally of the March 7 vote, suspicions have run deep that fraud and political tampering could cast doubt on the validity of the elections. But American diplomats said they were assured that there was no crisis, after conversations between Mr. Maliki and the two officials, Gen. Ray Odierno, the top American military commander in Iraq, and Christopher R. Hill, the American ambassador.

“We’re not picking up vibes of a crisis,” said a United States official in Baghdad who participated in the meeting with the prime minister.

On Monday, Mr. Maliki and officials from his State of Law coalition, who are in a tight race with an alliance headed by Ayad Allawi, the former interim prime minister, did not back down from their call for a manual recount, despite the state election commission’s refusal.

In a country burdened by its recent past of sectarian war and its longer past of rule by tyranny, and still unfamiliar with the mechanisms of democracy, every statement is parsed for deeper meaning. When Mr. Maliki invoked his commander-in-chief role and the specter of violence in calling for a recount on Sunday, he raised fears that he would not respect the democratic process.

But the American official, who spoke anonymously as ground rules for a briefing with more than a dozen reporters Monday at the United States Embassy here, said Mr. Maliki played down any worries about violence, though he and other Iraqi officials expressed “concerns about the tabulations process and how it’s being carried out.”

At the Defense Department on Monday, Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to comment directly on Mr. Maliki’s public statement on the recount, but he stressed the importance of moving quickly and calmly toward forming a new government.

“I see no indication of any increased security concern,” Mr. Whitman said. “Bringing the Iraqi elections to a resolution is important to do.”

Election officials have counted about 95 percent of the ballots from the March 7 election, and have said they plan to release complete results Friday after investigating the most significant allegations of fraud made by political parties.

But with State of Law not backing down from its recount demand, Friday’s planned announcement of the full results could set off a political showdown if Mr. Maliki’s coalition persists in questioning the result. On Monday, Hachem al-Hasani, a spokesman for State of Law, said that if the commission did not agree to a manual recount, “the question of legitimacy” would hang over the election results in the minds of the Iraqi people.

A valid election and smooth transition to a new government are seen as pivotal events for the legacy of the American war here, as the United States military plans to remove all combat troops by the end of August, leaving 50,000 troops in an advisory role through 2011.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/world/middleeast/23iraq.html

[terr]

Who were the top american officials, anybody know? Interesting post, thank you.

[Jac]

Here is another article from Iraq.

Tuesday 23rd March, 2010

Maliki back in Iraq election lead

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Big News Network.com Sunday 21st March, 2010

The Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is back in from with his State of Law coalition in the election count.

With the parliamentary election count still undecided, the coalition has around 11,000 more votes than the Iraqiya party of former prime minister Iyad Allawi.

Around 95 percent of the votes have been counted by members of the Iraqi electoral committee.

Earlier, the committee had announced that Iraqiya was ahead with 92 percent of the votes counted.

Then Prime Minister al-Maliki then demanded a recount.

The preliminary result of the 7th March election will be announced on Friday.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=614744

[Jac]

Here is an article from the March 22, 2010, which possessed some interesting information.

Replacement for Allawi available – Tajdeed

March 22, 2010 - 06:45:01

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The Tajdeed List, which is part of the al-Iraqiya bloc, said on Monday that it would nominate a replacement for Allawi in case other blocs would not accept him as the coming prime minister of Iraq.

“Allawi’s mother is Lebanese, and constitutional conditions may require someone else to hold the position of prime minister for this reason,” Shakir Kitab, the spokesperson of Tajdeed List, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

However, he stressed that Tajdeed stands behind Allawi as a nominee for the position of Iraq’s prime minister.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=128980

Apparently Allawi could not become pm and there were reasons for all the noise that he was making. A smokescreen perhaps.

[carlablum]

And to that note.....

Exit Allawi and Abdul-Mahdi of the presidential race, and al-Zubaidi and Araji bench

Monday 22/03/2010 10:43 p.m.

Accelerating developments in the Iraqi political arena, where sources confirmed reports, and Dr. Iyad Allawi out of the race for prime minister after it was discovered that Dr. Ayad Allawi, is constitutionally ineligible to the office the fact that the mother of Mrs. Dr. Allawi holds Lebanese citizenship, which is inconsistent with articles 68 and 77 of the Iraqi constitution, adopted after Allawi and his first term.Mrs. Maysoon al-spokesperson

Iraqi National List has reiterated on Monday surprised by the objections made by some political blocs and does not object to these blocks When Dr. Allawi, former prime minister, it is noteworthy that the Iraqi constitution had been approved after the inauguration of Dr. Allawi as prime minister.

On the other hand came out, Dr. Adel Abdul-Mahdi of the presidential race and the fact that the mother lacks the Iraqi nationality, a Syrian nationality and origin.

Also learned from a reliable source within the Iraqi National Coalition to put forward alternative names for prime minister is Mr. Bahaa al (former member of parliament from the Sadrist movement) and Mr. Bayan Jabr Al-Zubaidi (for the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council).

But our sources indicate that the chances of Mr. Bahaa al-faded after the leaking of some quarters some of the documents that condemn Mr. Araji (attached letter signed by Mr. Araji, taking advantage of his position as head of the Legal Committee in the Iraqi parliament and directed the President of Iraqi Red Crescent, the former regardless of $ 200 thousand dollars to the Special Assembly, Mr. Araji).

It is interesting that the Iranian Excess began to intervene to support the candidature of Mr. Bayan Jabr Al-Zubaidi is strong.

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://almasder.net/newsiraq/news.php%3Faction%3Dview%26id%3D116&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dnahrain%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DADt%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-USfficial&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhjd4mxO VnM2-whqvhLJCoXGLJV0Tg

[Jac]

:rolleyes:Missed that one...thank you!