performing their core legislative duties in more than five months on the job. what in the world is going son in iraq is crippled by a complete and total political impasse. the united states and the iraqis, of course, hoped that the march elections would show the world that iraqi democracy works. it has done just the opposite. after accusations of fraud, counteraccusations, recounts more recounts, the final certified election results were thus 91 seats in the parliament for the secular al iraqii party led by allawi on the show. 89 seats for the shiite state of law coalition led by nuri al malaki. neither of the two dominant parties was anywhere near the necessary 163-seat majority. so they need to make alliances, which are common in most democratic counties age louie s
complete and total political impasse. the united states and the iraqis, of course, hoped that the march elections would show the world that iraqi democracy works. it has done just the opposite. after accusations of fraud, counteraccusations, recounts more recounts, the final certified election results were thus 91 seats in the parliament for the secular al iraqii party led by allawi on the show. 89 seats for the shiite state of law coalition led by nuri al malaki. neither of the two dominant parties was anywhere near the necessary 163-seat majority. so they need to make alliances, which are common in most democratic countries. one party would normally be the lead partner and try to recruit others. but amazingly, none of the parties have been able to do anything. the acting speaker of parliament told the associated press that it could be another two weeks
recent attacks that have killed more than 100 people. and with no clear winner, the elections have led to political gridlock. at last count, prime minister nuri al malaki was two seats behind his main rival, the former prime minister, allawi, who is now struggling to form a coalition government. when i spoke to him this week, he told me that it would take about two months to form a new government, but some would consider that rather optimistic. and with the resurgence in violence, i also asked him if president obama s plan to reduce u.s. forces to 50,000 by this summer was also too optimistic. i think it s possible. i think it should be done. however, the security does not depend on the number of troops available here. the security depends on getting out in the way of sectarianism, or embarking on a course, a real course of reconciliation and
at meineke, you re always the driver. welcome back to our program. and we now turn to iraq, where successful, yet inconclusive elections, have been followed by worsening violence. this week, insurgents blasted baghdad, leaving dozens dead and more than 100 wounded. it was the latest in a series of recent attacks that have killed more than 100 people. and with no clear winner, the elections have led to political gridlock. at last count, prime minister nuri al malaki was two seats behind his main rival, the former prime minister, allawi, who is now struggling to form a coalition government. when i spoke to him this week, he told me that it would take about two months to form a new government, but some would consider that rather optimistic.
iraq. the secular alliance of former iraqi prime minister ayad allawi in the brown suit here won a narrow victory taking 91 seats in the 325-member parliament. he edged ahead of prime minister nuri al malaki s party by just two seats. two parties dominated by shiites and kurds took the rest. allawi says he is open to direct talks with the other groups, but al malaki is talking about appealing those results. amid the expanding sex abuse scandal against the roman catholic church, the vatican is on the defensive. it s denying reports that when the pope was still a cardinal and the archbishop in munich germany, he allowed a priest undergoing treatment for pedophilia back on to the job. here is cnn s fred pleitgen. the vatican said these reports have no new information