Final counting begins in Iraq
2005-02-01 10:00
Baghdad - Workers on Tuesday began a final tally of results from Iraq's elections, logging vote counts from individual precincts into computers in Baghdad.
First-phase hand counting of ballots finished on Monday afternoon at all 5 200 stations nationwide. Local centres then forwarded tally sheets and ballots to Baghdad, where vote totals were being compiled.
About 200 clerks were working around the clock to log the results at a bank of 80 computers.
Partial results could be released as early as Tuesday night, though final results could take up to 10 days, election officials said.
On Monday, United States soldiers stood guard and election workers cheered as trucks loaded with the first batch of ballots from the provinces rolled into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone for the next phase of the count.
Local polling stations had worked through the night to count ballots - by oil lamp at one Najaf site after power went off.
- AP