Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s political bloc won the most seats in Iraq’s parliamentary election, final results showed Monday, setting up what could be months of negotiations as parties try to assemble a governing majority.
The next administration will face a delicate balancing act as it navigates competing U.S. and Iranian influence. It must also deal with dozens of armed groups aligned more closely with Iran-backed leaders than with the Iraqi state, even as Washington steps up pressure on Baghdad to curb those militias.
Al-Sudani’s list finished first with 46 seats in the 329-member parliament, the election commission said.
The Taqaddum Party, which draws support from Iraq’s mainly Sunni west and north, won 27 seats. Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition secured 29 seats, while the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) captured 26 seats, according to the commission.
Nationwide turnout reached 56.11%, the commission said.
Parties in Iraq’s Shiite ruling alliance said they consider themselves the largest bloc in parliament following the publication of final results. In a statement after a meeting attended by Sudani, the alliance said it would move forward with nominating a prime minister for the next government.
Al-Sudani, who sought a second term in last week’s vote, has faced frustration from many young Iraqis who view elections as a mechanism for established parties to divide the country’s oil wealth. He has attempted to present himself as a leader capable of steering Iraq toward stability after years of unrest, saying he has taken steps to push back against the same political forces that helped bring him to power.
