Noticias

People of this region have been busy over the last few months voting in many elections — parliamentary, local, presidential and referenda. Yet, most of it seems predetermined with no surprises in results. Though elections in other parts of the world, especially in established democracies, are witnessing declining turnout of voters, people’s participation in elections in the region is on the rise. This is not only due to the region’s thirst for democracy, but is in part a by-product of the so-called Arab Spring witnessed more than three years ago.

Iraq's incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's apparent victory in parliamentary elections at the end of April has given him a leading role in forming the next government, but it will not necessarily secure him a third term in office.

On Monday, Iraq's electoral results were published in national newspapers. The tally was accompanied by a warning that only three days remain to lodge electoral disputes. The results will be considered final when the Iraqi High Electoral Commission, and the country's High Court, have addressed the accusations of impropriety.

Have Iraq’s Kurdish forces overcome their internal differences and decided to go to Baghdad with a unified voice, as they announced on May 17 at a meeting chaired by Kurdistan Regi

La lista del primer ministro iraquí, Nuri al Maliki, fue la más votada en las elecciones legislativas del mes pasado, aunque queda lejos de la mayoría. El Estado de la Ley obtiene al menos 92 de los 328 escaños del Parlamento, según los resultados provisionales hechos públicos hoy lunes por la Comisión Electoral. Ese éxito supone un revés para los adversarios políticos de Al Maliki, tanto chiíes como suníes y kurdos, contrarios a que ejerza un tercer mandato. Para lograrlo necesita poner en pie una coalición que garantice la investidura de su nuevo Gobierno, algo que puede llevar meses.

So far, the preliminary, and as yet unofficial, results of Iraq’s general elections indicate that no single party will have a big enough proportion of votes to gain the majority they would need to rule the country. An estimated 60 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots last week in Iraq’s first general election since US troops left – despite concerns about violence, the turnout was good, slightly higher than the last few decades’ worth of US presidential elections. And the results so far – with no party getting a majority – were generally as expected.

The results from Iraq's general elections last week are not in yet, but there is already controversy.

Senior Sunni political leaders say the elections cannot be fair, partially due to a low voter turnout in Anbar province.

There has been fierce fighting in the area between Iraq's army and opposition fighters.

Al Jazeera's Imran Khan reports from the outskirts of Anbar province.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is reportedly negotiating to form a "partnership government" instead of the "majority government" he has been campaigning for to face rivals who want to ensure that he does not return for a third term .

Media Adviser to Maliki, Ali al-Moussawi, told Al-Hayat newspaper that the State of Law Coalition led by Maliki will try to form a "majority government"; but if it fails it will consider a "partnership government" as last resort.