By Khalid al-Ansary and Waleed Ibrahim
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Coordinated bombings across Baghdad destroyed seven buildings and killed at least 35 people Tuesday, authorities said, fuelling fears of a surge in violence after inconclusive general elections.
More than 100 people have died around the capital in the last five days but, almost a month after parliamentary elections, a new cabinet could be months away.
The attacks drew sharp criticism from secularist former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, whose cross-sectarian Iraqiya coalition won two more seats in the March 7 vote than his chief rival, Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
"Government officials hold responsibility for not achieving security," Allawi said as he gave blood for the wounded in Baghdad. "I don't know what they have been doing in these (last) four years."
"They have been saying 'we are ready,'" Allawi said. "Where is this readiness? Nothing is ready."
The blast, mostly targeting small residential buildings, killed 35 and wounded 140, a police source said. An Interior Ministry source said 28 were killed and 75 wounded.
Rescuers swarmed over the debris of a collapsed three-storey building in the Alawi district of central Baghdad, looking for survivors. The building had a cafe filled with patrons on the ground floor and apartments above, witnesses said.
"Suddenly we heard a big explosion and then this building collapsed. Many people are still under the debris," a man said at the scene.
Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qassim al-Moussawi blamed the wave of attacks since Friday on remnants of al Qaeda and supporters of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein and his outlawed Baath Party.
Moussawi put the toll at 22 dead and 134 wounded. "We are in a battleground and we have to expect any type of attack," he said on state-run television.
WAVE OF ATTACKS
The bombings took place in the predominantly Shi'ite Shula and Chukook districts of northwestern Baghdad and the al-Shurta al-Rabaa area of southwestern Baghdad, and the mixed Alawi district in the centre of the city.
Moussawi said explosives experts defused two other bombs planted in houses in Chukook.
The explosions hit the capital two days after coordinated suicide car bomb attacks on embassies killed 41 people and wounded more than 200. The Iranian, Egyptian and German embassies appeared to be the targets.
Gunmen also attacked a village south of Baghdad and killed 24 people Friday.
Iraqi security forces had predicted a possible upturn of violence following the March 7 election, which highlighted Iraq's sectarian divide.
Neither of the top two coalitions won enough seats in parliament to form a majority government, leading to concerns that lengthy talks to build a coalition government could create a dangerous power vacuum.
After the last parliamentary election in 2005, sectarian violence exploded as politicians took five months to reach agreement on a government.
(Additional reporting by Aseel Kami; Writing by Ian Simpson and Jim Loney; Editing by Jon Boyle)
