Maliki's Allies Win Big in Provincial Vote

Allies of Iraq's prime minister finished first in races for ruling councils in Baghdad and eight other provinces, official results from last weekend's election show. Nouri al-Maliki's party won 38% of the vote in Baghdad, the election commission said. His party was followed by allies of anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and a Sunni party, with 9% each.

In Basra, the country's second-biggest city, the prime minister's followers won 37% of the vote. The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the biggest Shiite party, won 11.6%. Voters chose ruling councils in 14 of the 18 provinces in the first election since December 2005. (More Iraq stories.)