Allawi Calls On Iraqis To Unite After Successful Sunday Vote; Bush, U.S. Election Winners; No mission accomplished, but America's standing up after successful election.(A)

Byline: BRIAN MITCHELL

The ballots are still being counted in Iraq, but President Bush has already been declared the winner.

The strong turnout has earned Bush bragging rights for Wednesday's State of the Union address. It has also upped U.S. standing in the world, in time for the G-7 summit this weekend.

Further out, the election's success could give Bush much of this year to concentrate on his ambitious domestic agenda -- assuming things continue in Iraq along the same course.

"This is an excellent first step," said Tom Keaney, executive director of the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

"It's going to be at least this year before anything productive is determined," Keaney said. "Any time during the year, things could get worse."

Iraqis around the world voted over the weekend for parties to form a 275-member National Assembly. That body would sit for one 11-month term to hammer out a new permanent constitution, for another vote next December.