Secularist challenger Iyad Allawi retained a slim lead in Iraq's tight election race after a preliminary count of 95 percent of votes released on Sunday. The lead from Iraq's March 7 parliamentary election has switched several times between Allawi's cross-sectarian Iraqiya coalition and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki mainly Shi'ite bloc, State of Law, signalling a close result whoever comes out top.
That points to weeks of difficult negotiations to form a government, raising the prospect of a political vacuum that could set back fragile security gains as US troops prepare to leave Iraq by the end of next year.
Allawi's sweeping support in Sunni-dominated northern provinces means that any attempt to exclude him from government could further anger Sunnis who felt marginalised by the ascent of Iraq's Shi'ite majority after the 2003 US-led invasion.