Iraq vote counting nearly completed

BAGHDAD, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Vote counting in Iraq's first post-Saddam Hussein legislative elections is nearly complete and the results will be announced this week.

A source at the Higher Commission for Elections told UPI a routine verification will follow the counting. Final results could come as early as Thursday.

Commission spokesman Farid Ayyar said a detailed report will be issued to spell out the reasons why ballot boxes were not delivered to certain polling stations in northern Iraq, depriving the mainly-Christian population in the area of the chance to participate.

Hundreds of people from that region demonstrated in Baghdad Sunday to press for repeating the vote.