Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki launched his post-election bid to hold on to power for a third term on Thursday, saying Iraq had “paid the price in blood” for disunity and calling on rivals to back his bloc to lead the country. Iraq held a democratic national vote in the absence of foreign troops for the first time ever on Wednesday, despite levels of violence unseen since the darkest days of its 2005-08 civil war and a revived al Qaeda-inspired Sunni insurgency. Maliki, a member of the Shi’ite majority, addressed reporters with a confident winner’s air and praised high reported turnout figures as a victory over insurgents who had vowed to kill anyone who voted. The final result will not be clear for weeks. As in past Iraqi elections, parties with sectarian and ethnic agendas are expected to lead the field, with no group coming close to […]