BAGHDAD — Seizing on an early lead in Iraq’s election, the prime minister’s political coalition began reaching out to rivals Friday as partial results signaled a tight race that was unlikely to produce a clear-cut winner.
It is doubtful that Nouri al-Maliki — even if he keeps his job — will be able to build a seamless government from political parties separated by sectarian fault lines and Shiite rivalries.
That would mean more political instability as U.S. forces prepare to withdraw and further setbacks to efforts to reconcile Iraq’s fractured ethnic and sectarian communities.
The count for all of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including all-important Baghdad, was not expected for days, and the outcome of last Sunday’s parliamentary vote was far from certain. Election officials said they have been struggling with malfunctions such as computers crashing and too-slow employees. The process also has been marred by fraud allegations.
But the nation’s Independent High Electoral Commission has released partial results from seven provinces that showed al-Maliki’s bloc leading in three, ahead of former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi’s group, which was winning in two, and an Iran-backed Shiite religious grouping in another.
Al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition was emboldened enough by strong showings in Babil, Najaf and Muthanna provinces to pursue a rapprochement with rivals he might need to build a new government.
“The initial results of elections indicated our progress . . . and we can form a government by allying with two or three coalitions,” said Abbas al-Bayati, a lawmaker in the coalition.
