Iraq to begin manual recount of votes next week: Parliament Speaker

He also said the Iraqi Parliament’s term would end on Saturday unless lawmakers vote to delay its expiration until after the recount of ballots from the May polls.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq will begin the manual recount of votes from the May 12 parliamentary elections next week, Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters following a failed Parliament session, Jabouri revealed a manual recount would start next week without providing a specific date.

He also said the Iraqi Parliament’s term would end on Saturday unless lawmakers vote to delay its expiration until after the recount of ballots from the May polls.

Parliament members were expected to vote on whether to extend the current assembly’s term but failed to meet a quorum.

The session on Thursday was delayed 30 minutes to wait for MPs who were not present to arrive, but it was eventually postponed and is expected to be held on Friday.

Iraq’s recent parliamentary elections were marred by allegations of fraud and corruption leading to the current Parliament passing a law this month which approved the manual recount of votes across the country.

Shortly after Parliament’s order, a fire tore through a warehouse in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad where thousands of ballot boxes were being held.

Last week, a Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi Parliament warned the recount of votes would take months and could lead to a possible civil war if the results are substantially different than those previously announced.

Influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Sairoon Coalition took the lead in the May 12 polls, securing 54 seats out of a total 329.

Iran-backed Hadi al-Amiri’s al-Fatih Coalition finished second with 47 seats followed by current Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s Nasr (Victory) Coalition in third, securing 42 seats.