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Iraqi President Jalal Talabani today called for a recount in this month's parliamentary elections, to "preclude any doubt and misunderstanding" in the results of a tight race between PM Nouri al-Maliki and a secular rival amid widespread confusion and accusations of fraud. Al-Maliki, whose bloc is among those seeking a recount, late yesterday called on the election commission to respond to recount demands, saying that doing so quickly would "protect the democratic experiment."

The latest partial results, released yesterday, showed al-Maliki's secular Shiite challenger, former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, leading by a slim margin over the prime minister's coalition in the overall tally. However, al-Maliki is winning in seven of Iraq's 18 provinces, which is significant because parliament seats are allotted based on the outcome of voting in each province. (Read more Nouri al-Maliki stories.)