Iraqi election officials questioning results

This is not good. Defintely not good.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 17 - Iraqi election officials said Monday that they were investigating "unusually high" vote totals in 12 Shiite and Kurdish provinces, where as many as 99 percent of the voters were reported to have cast ballots in favor of Iraq's new constitution. The investigation raised the possibility that the results of the referendum could be called into question.

In a statement on Monday evening, the Independent Election Commission of Iraq said the results of the referendum on Saturday would have to be delayed "a few days" because the apparently high number of "yes" votes required election workers to "recheck, compare and audit" the results.

I don't claim to know what the best outcome would be on this referendum to end the violence in Iraq. If it passes, we're closer to forming a more permanent government which will be able to be more forceful in security operations, but then the Sunnis will have given up their political hopes and involvement, relying on the insurgency to press their goals. If it fails, the Sunnis will likely be more politically involved in the next parliament, but the interim period will be marked by less government control.

But, I do know that allegations of vote fixing by the Shias will not be good.