Unity talks continue as Iraqis await first results
Iraqi election officials said they had hoped to release some initial results from Sunday's vote on Wednesday but conceded they could now be delayed
Baghdad: Iraqi and UN officials say the first results from this week's parliamentary elections will likely be released on Thursday.
Iraqi election officials said they had hoped to release some initial results from Sunday's vote on Wednesday but conceded they could now be delayed.
Ad Melkert, the top UN official in Iraq, said he expected the first results on Thursday.
Melkert was at the Independent High Electoral Commission to observe Iraqi officials carrying out what he called "an honest process" of vote counting.
Government formation
Meanwhile, Iraqi Vice-President Tarek Al Hashemi met with the leader of Iraq's main Shiite party to discuss the formation of the new government.
Al Hashemi met with Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) leader Ammar Al Hakim to continue discussions which had begun before the elections.
"The country is in need of unremitting and sincere efforts from all political fronts to form a national unity government to achieve real stability," Al Hashemi said.
