BAGHDAD -- Iraq's electoral commission announced Monday that it has counted two-thirds of the nationwide vote from the March 7 parliamentary elections, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's political bloc still holding a narrow lead over his closest competitor, former prime minister Ayad Allawi.

The release of the partial tally came more than a week after millions of Iraqis voted for the government they want as the U.S. military draws down and ultimately leaves the country. The delay in the announcement of results has spurred cries of fraud.

Maliki's State of Law bloc was still leading in seven of Iraq's 18 provinces, including the battleground of Baghdad where the most seats of any province were up for grabs. His slate also was still ahead in the mostly Shiite province of Basra, which has Iraq's second-largest city.

Allawi's secular Shiite Iraqiya bloc continued to fare well in mostly Sunni areas in the north and west of the country, including Nineveh province, where the second-largest number of seats are allocated. And he seemed to be catching up with Maliki in Baghdad.

Buoyed by the preliminary results, Maliki was courting allies in hopes of forming a new governing coalition that would allow him to keep his job.

In addition to Baghdad and Basra, Maliki's slate State of Law slate was ahead in five other provinces.

Iraq's electoral commission has struggled to tally votes because of technical problems and the complicated nature of the ballot. The results so far have been too incomplete to show who will capture the most seats in parliament.

Maliki, a Shiite, has been talking to Kurdish officials, Sunni Arab candidates and leading figures from the Shiite coalition that once included him. The Kurdish alliance, in the past seen as a kingmaker in Iraqi politics, is leading in the northern provinces of Dahuk, Irbil and Sulaymaniyah.

Allawi, meanwhile, is attempting to woo the same political blocs. His slate was leading in five provinces, including Anbar, a Sunni-dominated province where more than half the votes have been counted. His bloc also held a narrow lead in the mixed province of Kirkuk, a key area that the Kurds believe should be part of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq.

Allawi traveled over the weekend to Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region, to discuss potential partnerships.

Both Maliki and Allawi have cast themselves as Iraqi nationalists willing to cross sectarian lines to save Iraq from strife when the next government has formed.

"They want a clear picture before committing themselves to any agreement with others," said Sami al-Askari, an independent Shiite legislator allied with Maliki, referring to talks that began with other coalitions this week. "This is between Maliki and Allawi -- two different groups and two different directions."

Askari, a close confidant of the prime minister, said Maliki might have the upper hand because Iran prefers him over Allawi. Iran's closest political allies in Iraq -- notably the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq -- have so far done poorly. The Iraqi National Alliance, the Shiite coalition that includes the Supreme Council, is in the lead in the southern provinces of Maysan, Qadisiyah and Dhi Qar.

Followers of the fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who are also part of the Iraqi National Alliance, are expected to make the strongest showing of those in the coalition. Although they may have a strong voice in the new parliament, Askari said, Maliki does not want them in his government.

No one is expected to win a majority of seats, a development that could lead to months of negotiations before a government is formed. The political maneuvering could inflame tensions in the street, and already the delay in announcing the vote results has spurred cries of fraud.

More than 6,000 politicians vied for the 325 seats in the new parliament. So far, members of Maliki's bloc believe they have won 90 to 110 seats, while supporters of Allawi believe they have taken as many as 85 seats.

By Leila Fadel
Washington Post