Allawi ahead in Iraq parliamentary polls

A secular challenger to Iraq’s prime minister has again edged ahead in parliamentary elections now that the vote count is nearly complete.

Partial results released today show former prime minister Ayad Allawi leading by 7,970 votes, based on a tally of 93% of ballots.

But incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition is still winning in seven of Iraq’s 18 provinces, compared with five for Mr Allawi’s Iraqiya alliance, which is significant because seats in the 325-member parliament are allotted by province.