The offer has been welcomed by Sunnis and Shiites who alleged the vote was marred by fraud and intimidation, the BBC said. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the United Nations also voiced approval.

Early results suggest governing Shiite parties won the biggest share of the vote, followed by Kurdish groups. The final result for the Dec. 15 vote is not expected until early January.

The United Iraqi Alliance, the religious Shiite bloc that heads the current government, met Thursday with Kurdish leaders about forming a possible coalition.

Iraq's main Sunni Arab party and relatively secular Shiite politicians are demanding a rerun of this month's vote amid indications that they have not fared well at the ballot box.