Al-Maliki calls for an expanded meeting shortly after the release of the poll's results

Shafaq News/ The leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, invited Shiite leaders to an expanded meeting in his residence later today, a source revealed on Monday.

The Sadrist movement was not invited to the meeting, according to the source, but Sunni figures are expected to attend.

Al-Maliki's invitation came "to discuss the election and the subsequent preliminary results released by the Independent High Electoral Commission."

Initial results of Iraq's national election trickled through on Monday evening during a chaotic press conference organized by the government electoral body.

By 6 pm local time, voter tallies were coming through, district by district.

The Sadrist bloc, led by radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, has picked up the majority of seats, while the final results are under scrutiny pending announcement.