BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An alliance of Shi'ite Islamist groups won the most votes in Iraq's election, but the percentage it received -- 47.6 percent -- was lower than many expected, according to the final tally released on Sunday.
A coalition of the two main Kurdish parties won 25.4 percent and a bloc led by Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi got 13.6 percent.
Overall turnout was 8.55 million votes, which was 58 percent of those registered to vote. The Shi'ite United Iraqi Alliance won 4.075 million votes, the Kurds won 2.175 million and Allawi's list won 1.168 million, according to the tally released by the Electoral Commission
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. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A Shi'ite alliance won Iraq's first election since Saddam Hussein's overthrow, sealing the new political dominance of the country's long-oppressed majority.
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The Electoral Commission said on Sunday the Shi'ite bloc, known as the United Iraqi Alliance, took 47 percent of the vote, less than the bloc had predicted.
A Kurdish alliance came second with 25 percent, while a grouping led by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi came third with 13 percent. Few Sunni Arabs took part in the voting, which effectively marginalizes the minority that has traditionally ruled modern Iraq and held a privileged position under Saddam, a Sunni.
The commission said 8.55 million Iraqis, or 58 percent of registered voters, cast ballots in the election, Iraq's first multi-party poll for half a century, that took place on Jan. 30.
Sunni Arab turnout was low. Only two percent of eligible voters in the Sunni-dominated Anbar province cast ballots, and only 29 percent in the mainly Sunni Salahadin province.
Sunnis, who make up about 20 percent of Iraq's 27 million people, will be under-represented in the National Assembly that will now be formed. They will have little political influence.
That could stoke the insurgency in Iraq which is being fought mainly by Sunni Arab guerrillas who want to drive out U.S.-led troops and overthrow the American-backed government.
(will update when more results available)
it'll be 3 days before results are formally certified. Also even if there is a ALLAWI-KURD alliance they won't have the 2/3 majority neccessary. Alot I think will depend in the minor parties
(AP)in Ninevah province, which includes the third-largest city, Mosul, only 17 percent of the voters participated in the National Assembly race and 14 percent voted in the provincial council contests. --------------------------------------(cut)--------------------------
A ticket headed by the country's president Ghazi al-Yawer, a Sunni Arab, won only about 150,000 votes ? less than 2 percent. A list headed by Sunni elder statesman Adnan Pachachi took only 12,000 votes ? or 0.1 percent.
roughly speaking it looks like parties will get 1 seat for every 30,751 votes or so. Pachaci may be out entirely