In Iraq, the results of parliamentary elections in six Iraqi provinces show a slender edge in favour of incumbent Prime Minister Noori al Maliki’s alliance. The Initial results were based on 25 percent of total votes. According to a statement of the country’s Independent High Electoral Commission while the counting is in progress the partial counting results from provinces of Babel, Arbil, Najaf, Hilla, Diala, Salah al-Din, Muthanna and Missan have been declared so far. But the polling results from pivotal Baghdad were not included. According to latest tallies Prime Minister Maliki's State of Law coalition is heading the poll in Najaf, Babel and Hilla and Muthanna provinces, while former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's secular Iraqiya alliance topping the list in two provinces Diyala and Salaheddin. INA is in the lead in Maysan province on the Iranian border. In northern Arbil province however two major Kurdish parties Patriotic Union of Kurdistan of the Iraqi president Jalal Talbani and the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Masoud Barazani are far ahead. The result of the election may be determined by what happens in Baghdad, with a population of sixty lakh and Iraq's second city Basra with twenty lakh votes. Final results, which need to be certified by Iraq's Supreme Court, are expected to be released at the end of the month.