Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc wins two seats more than al-Maliki’s coalition; UN and US welcomes the results; 52 people killed in suicide attack in Diyala
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    • Death toll from two bombs that struck a crowded market in the mainly Sunni Diyala province increased to 52. The attack was one of deadliest in recent months. Authorities indicated that a roadside bomb detonated near a coffee shop in the centre of Khalis, a town 80 km north of Baghdad, followed soon after by a car bomb that devastated nearby buildings and shops.1

    Iyad Allawi, leading the secular alliance, the Iraqiya bloc narrowly won Iraq's parliamentary election, by winning two seats more than Mr. al-Maliki’s coalition. He offered to work with all parties to form a coalition government. Mr. al-Maliki on his part refused to accept the result and vowed to challenge it in courts.

    The UN and US however welcomed the results and stated that the polls were credible. According to final results published by Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), Allawi's secular Iraqiya bloc won 91 of the 325 seats, 72 short of a majority. Al-Maliki's State of Law came second with 89 seats, followed by the Iraqi National Alliance (INA) with 70 and the Kurdistan Alliance with 43.2

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