Early Iraq results favor secular challenger
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Results released so far in Iraq's parliamentary election show Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki trailing his main rival, former prime minister Ayad Allawi. Results from six of Iraq's 18 provinces show al-Maliki's bloc winning 41 parliamentary seats, and Allawi's coalition taking home 72 seats.
The provinces included the capital Baghdad and the oil-rich province of Basra, both of which went to al-Maliki, a Shiite. But the numbers released Friday also included the key provinces of Ninevah, Anbar, Tamim and Diyala, where Allawi had been expected to prevail. The results did not include key Shiite provinces where al-Maliki is expected to do well. (AP)
