(MENAFN) Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission announced late Monday that the Reconstruction and Development coalition, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, emerged as the top winner in the country’s parliamentary elections, claiming 46 of the 329 available seats.

According to Iraqi media, the coalition finished first with 46 seats, followed by the Progress party, headed by former Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, which secured 36 seats.

The State of Law coalition, under former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, garnered 29 seats, the commission reported.

Later, the Shia-led Coordination Framework declared itself the largest parliamentary bloc by uniting all its constituent parties, according to media.

The bloc has formed two committees: one to craft a unified national governance vision, and another to conduct interviews with candidates for the prime minister’s position.

It stated it will proceed with nominating a prime minister following constitutional procedures.

During the meeting, the bloc also discussed “the criteria adopted for selecting the prime minister, in addition to the nature of the required government program in a manner consistent with the political, economic and service-related challenges Iraq faces and in a way that meets citizens’ aspirations for reform, stability and development.”

Voter participation in last week’s elections reached 56.11%, with 7,743 candidates competing for 329 parliamentary seats — positions responsible for electing the president and granting confidence to the government.

No single party in Iraq can form a government independently, making coalition-building a lengthy process.

The Shia-led Coordination Framework was established following the 2021 legislative elections to counter attempts by the Sadrist Movement to form a “national majority government.”

Under Iraq’s customary power-sharing system, the prime minister is traditionally Shia, the president Kurdish, and the parliament speaker Sunni.

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