Iraq begins May elections manual recount

KIRKUK, Iraq: Iraqi authorities began recounting votes from May´s disputed parliamentary election on Tuesday, officials said, a step towards forming a new government after weeks of delays.

Counting started in the northern oil-producing province of Kirkuk, a election commission source there said, and at least six other provinces were expected to follow suit in coming days.

Parliament ordered a full recount earlier in June after a government report concluded there were widespread violations. That kicked off a politically fraught process as leaders of political blocs got embroiled in negotiations over the formation of the next government.

A panel of judges overseeing the recount later limited its scope, ruling that it would only cover suspect ballots flagged in formal complaints or official reports on fraud. Overseas votes cast in Iran, Turkey, Britain, Lebanon, Jordan, the United States and Germany will also be recounted, the panel added.

Representatives from the United Nations and foreign embassies will attend the process, as will local and international observers. The Iraqi government had indicated in a report that there were widespread violations in the elections, which saw a bloc led by renowned cleric Muqtada al-Sadr win. Another bloc, emerging from paramilitary forces who had battled the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group over the past three years, came second. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his bloc came third.