Allawi Now Leads in Iraqi Election

Former Prime Minster Ayad Allawi, leader of the secular coalition Iraqiya, has moved ahead of current Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki in the vote tally of Iraq’s parliamentary elections. With 92 percent of votes counted, Allawi leads by 7,970 nationwide. Maliki’s coalition is leading in seven provinces, compared with Allawi's five; the province-by-province count is how seats in parliament are determined. It’s unclear whether the Iraqiya lead will hold and whether that will mean more seats. Allawi, a Shia, has won over many Sunni Iraqis with his anti-Iran rhetoric, as well as some Shia concerned with their neighbor’s growing influence.