A new start for Iraq? Ayad Allawi’s Iraqiya coalition has beaten out Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s in Iraq’s parliamentary elections by a mere two seats. That didn’t sit well with al-Maliki’s supporters, who immediately took to the streets. Al-Maliki, for his part, had already demanded a manual recount when his initial lead in the polls started to narrow, but Iraq’s electoral commission so far has rejected charges of voter fraud.