Post-parliamentary elections: Iraq government formation talks launched

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Discussions to form Iraq’s new government began following the conclusion of the parliamentary elections, according to Abshir Ya Iraq, a Shiite political bloc led by Humam Hamoudi, the head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council.

Speaking to Shafaq News on Sunday, Ali Saber Al-Kinani, a senior leader in the bloc and one of the winners in the recent elections, said negotiations among political factions began several days ago after the Supreme Judicial Council urged the winning blocs to move quickly toward forming the new legislative and executive authorities within the constitutional timeline.

“Abshir Ya Iraq aims to prioritize national interests and ensure that dialogue among political blocs guides the process of shaping the next government,” Al-Kinani added.

Last week, Iraq completed its sixth parliamentary election since 2003, with turnout exceeding 56 percent nationwide. Preliminary figures showed that Al-Ima’ar Wal Tanmiya (Reconstruction and Development), led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, came first in eight of Iraq’s 18 provinces, securing around 45 seats.

The detailed distribution of seats has not yet been finalized. The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) indicated that the official results may be released either later today or on Monday.

Once released, IHEC will refer the certified results to the Federal Supreme Court in line with the constitutional process. After approval, parliament will be required to elect a president, who will then assign a prime minister-designate, opening the way for the formation of the next government.

Iraq’s political system is based on power-sharing, with the prime minister traditionally drawn from the Shia community, the parliament speaker from the Sunni community, and the president from the Kurdish community.

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