Coalition led by Iraqi PM wins Iraqi elections with 46 seats in parliament

(Patria) - Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's political bloc won the most seats in the Iraqi elections, final election results showed on Monday, but a new government could be formed in months due to efforts to build a majority, Reuters reported.

The next government will have to navigate a delicate balance between American and Iranian influence. It must manage dozens of armed groups that are closer to Iran and more accountable to their leaders than to the state, all while facing increasing pressure from Washington to disband these militias.

Al-Sudani's list took first place with 46 seats in the 329-member parliament, the electoral commission announced.

The Taqaddum party, which has the support of the predominantly Sunni west and north of Iraq, won 27 seats.

Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's "State of Law" bloc won 29 seats, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) secured 26 seats, according to results released by the commission.

The final overall turnout in the Iraqi parliamentary elections reached 56.11 percent, according to commission data.

Parties in the ruling Shiite alliance in Iraq stated after the results were announced that they consider themselves the largest bloc in parliament. In a statement issued after a meeting attended by al-Sudani, the alliance announced that it would proceed with nominating the prime minister for the next phase.

Al-Sudani ran for a second term in last week's elections, but many disappointed young voters saw the vote simply as a means for established parties to divide Iraq's oil wealth.

However, he tried to present himself as a leader who could make Iraq successful after years of instability, claiming to have opposed the established parties that brought him to power.