Iraq parliamentary election recount 'unnecessary'

[Bumper64]

Thursday, 25 March 2010

The head of Iraq's election commission has ruled out a manual recount of all the votes in the country's parliamentary election.

This comes the day before overall election result is due to be released.

Commission head Faraj al-Haydari told the BBC that no political party has shown any evidence that such a recount was needed.

Supporters of incumbent Prime Minister Nouri Maliki have staged protests calling for a recount.

Mr Maliki is in a tight race with his main rival, the former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

When he made the demand, Mr Maliki's language warning of threats to stability and invoking his position as commander in chief, raised concerns he might not accept the result.

BBC Baghdad correspondent Andrew North says the Iraqi election commission remains under intense pressure.

Mr Haydari, the election commission head, told the BBC: "I think Maliki or President Talabani have the right to suggest. Anyone has the right to suggest but I think we go and work according to the law. We listen to them. We can discuss with them. We can explain to them but we don't take orders. This is law. It's an election."

Fears

continued........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8586967.stm