Iraq voting fraud inquiry wraps up

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraq’s election commission will announce results of its investigation into allegations of vote fraud today, officials said, while the tribunal overseeing Saddam Hussein’s trial confirmed the chief judge has asked to resign.

The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, or IECI, has worked through the 50 or so serious complaints of voter fraud lodged after the Dec. 15 election, Safwat Rashid, an official with the panel, said Sunday.

About 2,000 complaints were filed overall, but the commission said only 50 had the potential to change vote totals.

The governing United Iraqi Alliance, a Shiite religious bloc, has a strong lead, according to preliminary results. But it will not win enough seats in the 275-member parliament to avoid a coalition with Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties.

Final election results have been delayed by Sunni Arab complaints of fraud. Although leading politicians have expressed hopes a government could be formed in February, most experts and officials agree it could take two to three months, as it did after the January 2005 elections for an interim government.

The international team assessing the IECI’s handling of the voting process also said it would release its final report on Thursday. The IECI is expected to release uncertified final results shortly after that, perhaps as soon as this coming weekend.

The tribunal overseeing the Saddam case said Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin submitted his resignation for “personal reasons” and not because of government pressure. It said the trial of Saddam and seven co-defendants would reconvene Jan. 24 as scheduled despite the uncertainties surrounding Amin.

Also Sunday, Turkey’s state minister Kursad Tuzmen warned Iraq that Turkish companies would suspend exports of oil products such as gasoline, natural gas and jet fuel on Jan. 21 if Iraq does not pay a debt of over $1 billion.

In other developments, according to police:

“Gunmen in Baghdad killed five civilians, two police and a former Iraqi army officer in separate incidents.

“Three bodies were found at a sewage plant in southeastern Baghdad.

“ The body of a criminal intelligence officer who was abducted Saturday was found in Basra.

“ The bodies of a police brigadier and his body guard were found on a highway between Kirkuk and Beiji.