Bid to solve election dispute

2005-12-24 14:10

Baghdad - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was attempting on Saturday to resolve a growing political row set off by contested general election results, amid fears the dispute could fuel the insurgency.

A meeting of top leaders was underway on Saturday morning, his office said, giving no details.

Some two dozens parties, including the main Sunni Arab coalition, on Thursday called for a re-run of the December 15 elections because of alleged fraud.

Elements from the Sunni Arab minority, dominant under ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, are seen as the backbone behind the insurgency.

Electoral commission official Adel al-Lami on Saturday said the commission was investigating some 1 500 complaints, but he appeared to rule out any large-scale new polling.

"If need be voting can be repeated in small areas, but there is no evidence until now this will be required," he said.

Complaints concerned no more than five percent of the total of some 10 million votes cast, he added.

Early results suggest Shi'ite-based religious parties, dominant in the outgoing government, will have a commanding position in the next parliament.

Final results are not expected before January.

Talabani, a Kurd, said on Friday he was trying to foster "a government of national unity" by convening talks amongst various political factions.

"I started meeting on Wednesday with leaders from the (Sunni-based) National Concord Front, from the Iraqi National list (led by former prime minister Iyad Allawi) and from the (Shi'ite-based) United Iraqi Alliance to bring their viewpoints together," Talabani told reporters.

"I'll do everything in my power to bring about a government of national unity," he added.

On Friday, several thousand people took to the streets in several mainly Sunni towns to protest alleged ballot-rigging.

Jawad al-Maliki, a Shi'ite Alliance leader, on Saturday ruled out any election re-run.

"One has to accept the results," he told a news conference.

- AFP