IHEC confirms submitting candidates lists to Parliament Presidium 

Shafaq News / The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission announced that had handed over, to the General Secretariat of the Council of Representatives, lists of the names of winning representatives and losing candidates who secured the highest number of votes in their respective electoral districts, 

Member of the Commission's media department, Imad Jamil, that the Parliament Presidium does not need the commission to know who the winning and losing candidates are, noting that it had previously submitted the lists to it. 

Yesterday, the members of the Sadrist bloc in Iraq's parliament resigned earlier today after their leader, powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, asked them to step down amid a prolonged stalemate over forming a government.

Al-Sadr's party was the biggest winner in an October general election, increasing the number of seats it holds in parliament to 73. But political disagreement among parties has hindered the parliament from electing a president and forming a government.

Al-Sadr, a populist who has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of both Iran and the US, said in a handwritten statement that his request to lawmakers to resign was “a sacrifice from me for the country and the people to rid them of the unknown destiny”.

Soon after, the parliamentary speaker accepted the resignations.

In a video shown on Iraq's state news agency INA, Speaker Mohammed al-Halboosi was seen signing the lawmakers' resignations.