Iraq's election race tight as results delayed again

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Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had a narrow lead over rival Shi'ites, partial results in Iraq's tight election race showed on Friday, but a secularist challenger remained far ahead in minority Sunni areas.

The race may remain too close to call until initial results are posted for all of Iraq's 18 provinces, including pivotal areas like Baghdad, the ethnically and religiously diverse capital city that is home to at least 6 million people.

Initial results released so far for six provinces show Maliki's State of Law bloc slightly ahead of the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a coalition of powerful Shi'ite parties, with a gap of just 15,500 votes of 313,000 counted for the two groups.

In third place was former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya list, a cross-sectarian, secularist group that is well ahead in two provinces home to large numbers of minority Sunnis.

more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6291UY20100312