Iraqi PM calls for manual vote recount

Baghdad, Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has called for a manual recount of the votes cast in the country's tight parliamentary elections, saying he is asking for it to "preserve the integrity of the electoral process."

However, the Independent High Electoral Commission rejected his demand, with spokesman Judge Qassim al-Aboodi telling reporters there must be "compelling reasons" and strong evidence of widespread fraud for the recount.

Votes from the election are still being tallied and the race is too close to call. A secular bloc is ahead in the overall count of votes, although al-Maliki's coalition remained in the lead in several provinces.