‘ Syria toll reaches 162,000’

Beirut, May 19: At least 162,000 people have been killed in Syria’s threeyear- old conflict, a monitoring group said on Monday, and thousands more are missing after being captured by President Bashar alAssad’s forces and rebels trying to overthrow him.

The pro- Opposition, British- based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said losses among fighters on the government side were higher than those among prorebel groups, and estimat- ed that at least 54,000 civilians had been killed since the conflict began.

It estimated 62,800 deaths among the Army, pro- Assad Syrian militia, Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and other foreign Shia gunmen.

That compared with 42,700 people who had died on the rebel side, including fighters from Al Qaeda’s Nusra Front, other Islamist brigades, and soldiers who defected from Assad’s Army.

Nearly 3,000 people of unknown identity or affil- iation had been killed, it said. The Observatory said all sides in the conflict played down their losses, making an accurate count almost impossible, and the overall death toll was probably around 70,000 higher at 230,000. Efforts to find a political solution to the conflict collapsed in Geneva three months ago and the international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi will step down at the end of the month. Mr Assad, who has steadily clawed back control over the centre of the country, is widely expected to win a third sevenyear term. — Reuters Baghdad, May 19: Election results due on Monday are expected to put Nouri alMaliki in the driver’s seat to remain Iraq’s Prime Minister for a third term despite vocal Opposition and markedly worsening security.

The tallies from the April 30 general election, delayed for weeks due to a litany of complaints according to the electoral commission, are likely to show Maliki’s bloc won the most seats in Parliament but fell short of a majority.

That would mean the incumbent, who hails from Iraq’s Shia majority, would require the support of Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties.

But many of these have refused to countenance another term for Mr Maliki, who they accuse of consolidating power and being to blame for a protracted surge in unrest.

Iraq’s electoral commission is expected to release the results, which remain subject to challenge, at 1200 GMT.

Leaked reports released by political parties and reported by Iraqi media throughout the vote counting process have said Mr Maliki’s State of Law alliance would win around 90 out of 328 seats in Parliament.

A handful of smaller parties — including those linked to former Premier Iyad Allawi, powerful Shia cleric Moqtada al- Sadr, and Kurdish regional president Massud Barzani — are estimated to each win between around 20 and 30 seats.

Regardless of the final results, the government formation process is expected to take months as the various parties are likely to seek an all- encompassing government package. — AFP