Iraq electoral commission says 1.6 million votes counted

BAGHDAD, Feb 3 (AFP) - Iraq's electoral commission said Thursday that 1.6 million ballots, or just over 10 percent of the estimated number of registered voters, had been counted at its Baghdad headquarters over the past two days.
"1.6 million votes have been counted," commission member Mustafa Safwat told reporters.
Electoral commission president Abdel Hussein al-Hindawi said on Wednesday that election result would be known within a few days.
But commission spokesman Farid Ayar told AFP earlier: "But I can't say when the results will be available. It's pure speculation to talk of three or four days."
An initial ballot count was made at individual polling stations and the final count began at the commission centre in Baghdad on Tuesday.

02/03/2005 14:14 GMT - AFP