Iraq's electoral commission upholds election results in Baghdad and surrounding area

Nouri Al MalikiAuthorities have said that Iraq's election results in Baghdad and the surrounding area have been upheld by the country's electoral commission after a partial recount.

The BBC reported on Sunday that the hand recount of 2.5 million ballots, requested by incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, took two weeks.

The BBC also said that Maliki's coalition party had come in second in the voting.

The recount confirms the two-seat parliamentary lead of Maliki's challenger Iyad Allawi and is compatible with the original results announced in March.

Observers further said that the recount, which will be sent to the federal court for ratification, is seen as a vital step in ending the country's political deadlock.

Electoral official Qassim al-Abboudi said, "I hope that all political blocs are satisfied now that the electoral process was honest and all allegations of fraud and forgery were totally incorrect."

The BBC further said that since no single party won enough seats to form a government on its own, a broad coalition including Shias, Sunnis and Kurds seems likely. (With Inputs from Agencies)