Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s parliamentary elections recorded turnout above 56 percent, the strongest participation in years and a sign of restored public confidence in the political process, the head of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition (Al-Ima'ar wal-Tanmiya), PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Friday.

According to a statement by the Coalition, al-Sudani noted that the bloc’s large share of votes places a responsibility on its leaders to deliver services that meet voters’ expectations.

He indicated that coalition leaders will enter negotiations to form a parliamentary government agreement capable of meeting citizens’ needs and addressing current challenges.

Preliminary results released by Iraq’s High Electoral Commission (IHEC) showed that al-Sudani and nine members of his cabinet secured seats in the new parliament, while four ministers did not win any.

On Wednesday, the IHEC announced that the Reconstruction and Development Coalition posted strong gains in the initial count, collecting 1,317,346 votes across 12 of Iraq’s 18 provinces, followed by the Taqaddum party led by former parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and, in third place, the State of Law Coalition headed by former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Read more: Indecisive victory: PM Al-Sudani's second term faces Shiite balancing act