BAGHDAD - An election recount in Baghdad will start on Monday and may take three weeks, Iraqi officials said on Thursday, further delaying the formation of a new government as U.S. troops prepare to leave.The recount in the capital has delayed certification of the election results and led to a prolonged period of political uncertainty. Electoral commissioner Hamdiya al-Husseini said the manual recount of more than 2.5 million ballots in Baghdad, which accounts for over a fifth of seats in the 325-seat parliament, would also include votes cast abroad and by troops, police, detainees and the sick.
“Monday ... has been set as a date to start the recounting process. We estimated it would take from two to three weeks for the recount but this could change,' she said on Thursday.
Observers from the United Nations and the European Union are willing to advise Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission during the recount process, IHEC chief Faraj al-Haidari said.