No evidence of widespread fraud in Iraq election: US

AFP, Baghdad, March 26, 2010  – There was “no evidence” of widespread or serious fraud in Iraq’s March 7 general election, the US ambassador to Baghdad and the top American commander in the country said in a statement on Friday.
“We support the findings of international and independent Iraqi observers, who … have found that there is no evidence of widespread or serious fraud,” ambassador Christopher Hill and General Ray Odierno said.
Earlier, the United Nations envoy to Iraq hailed the poll as “credible” an called on all parties to accept the outcome.
“It is the UN’s considered opinion that these elections have been credible and we congratulate the people of Iraq for this success,” Ad Melkert told a press conference in central Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone.
Results released on Friday showed the Iraqiya bloc of secular ex-premier Iyad Allawi won 91 seats in the 325-member parliament, two more than the State of Law Alliance of sitting Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.