An Iraqi panel investigating election complaints ordered on Monday a recount of more than 2.5 million votes cast in Baghdad during the March 7 election, agreeing to a demand by Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki that could swing the outcome in his favor. Al-Maliki won 89 of 325 parliamentary seats in the election, coming in second behind former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi with 91 seats. Neither has been able to cobble together a majority coalition with the support of other parties yet, and in the meantime Al-Maliki has been trying to alter the outcome of the vote through various court appeals and other challenges, and by trying to woo support away from Allawi. Al-Maliki's State of Law bloc has claimed election fraud and demanded a recount in five provinces, including Baghdad which accounts for almost a fifth of parliamentary seats. The recount was ordered by the Independent High Electoral Commission, a three-member panel that investigates election-related complaints, commission official Hamdia Al
