Iraq PM said to be ahead on eve of vote results
Initial results from Iraq’s national election are likely to be released by Thursday, Iraqi and U.N. officials said on Wednesday, as further signs emerged of a strong showing for Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
The Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a largely Shi’ite group that is challenging Maliki’s bid to win a second term, told a news conference that according to their informal tallies the prime minister was ahead in at least 10 of Iraq’s 18 provinces.