Party of Nationalist Shiite Cleric Wins Iraqi Elections
The party of a nationalist Shiite cleric won the most votes in Iraq’s parliamentary elections, according to initial results. The Sadrist Movement headed by Muqtada al-Sadr appears to have more than 70 seats in the 329-member parliament, up from 54 in 2018. The party of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki reportedly has the second-highest vote total.
Voter turnout was a record low of 41%.
Sign Up for Mideast Daily News
Wake up to the Trusted Mideast News source
By subscribing, you agree to The Media Line terms of use and privacy policy.
Sadr is popular for his opposition to a US presence in Iraq, which he first announced in 2003. He is the son of famous Iraqi Shia cleric, the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr.
The parties that won seats in the election must now work to form a ruling government coalition and to name a prime minister.