Dark clouds gather over Iraq's political stalemate
It's no surprise that the process of forming a government after Iraq's March 7 election has proven frustrating and messy. After all, Iraqi politicians don't exactly play well together.
The acrimonious five-month delay in forming a government after the last parliamentary election, in 2005, helped lead to a bloody, sectarian civil war.
Still, it is surprising that six weeks since the recent election, not only have serious negotiations to form a new government not begun, but there is no consensus on who won the vote.
An Iraqi judge on Monday ordered a partial recount of votes in Baghdad province at the request of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose State of Law coalition came in second when official results were announced on March 27, with just two parliamentary seats fewer than former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya coalition.
Fearful that a partial recount would erase Iraqiya's victory, Allawi responded on Tuesday by calling for a broader recount to include areas in the south where his coalition fared poorly.
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