UPDATE 2 - Iraqi prime minister’s coalition leads in parliamentary elections in Baghdad

ADDS DETAILS

By Laith Al-jnaidi and Rania Abu Shamala

BAGHDAD/ISTANBUL (AA) - A coalition headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani took a strong lead in the country’s parliamentary elections in Baghdad, the electoral commission said Wednesday.

Preliminary results announced by the commission showed that al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition got 411,026 votes in Baghdad out of more than 4 million registered voters in the province, followed by the Progress Party, led by former Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi (284,035 votes) and the State of Law Coalition headed by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (228,103 votes).

In Ninawa, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) came in first, followed by the Progress Party and the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, with over 2 million registered voters in the province.

⁠In Erbil, the KDP took the lead, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) ranked second and the National Stance Movement came third.

The commission said that voter turnout in the parliamentary elections reached 56.11% nationwide.

-Results by leading coalitions

The Reconstruction and Development Coalition led by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ranked first in nine provinces: Baghdad, Najaf, Al Qadisiyah, Maysan, Wasit, Muthanna, Babil, Dhi Qar and Karbala, while it came second in Salah al-Din, and third in Basra and Ninawa.

The State of Law Coalition headed by Nouri al-Maliki came in second in the provinces of Wasit, Muthanna, Dhi Qar and Karbala, while it ranked third in Baghdad, Najaf, Maysan and Babil.

The Progress Party led by Mohammed al-Halbousi topped the results in Salah al-Din, Anbar and Kirkuk and came in second in Baghdad and Nineveh.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) ranked first in Ninawa, Erbil and Duhok.

The Tasmim Alliance topped Basra, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led Sulaymaniyah and the Badr Organization ranked first in Diyala.

-Results by provinces

In Najaf, the Reconstruction and Development Coalition came first, followed by the National Forces Alliance and the State of Law Coalition.

In Al Qadisiyah, Reconstruction and Development ranked first, State of Law second and the Badr Organization third.

In Maysan, Reconstruction and Development topped the results, the Badr Organization came in second and State of Law third.

In Wasit, Reconstruction and Development came in first, State of Law second and the Al-Sadiqun Movement third.

In Muthanna, Reconstruction and Development led, followed by State of Law and Al-Sadiqun.

In Babil, Reconstruction and Development took first place, Al-Sadiqun second and State of Law third.

In Dhi Qar, Reconstruction and Development topped the results, State of Law came in second and Al-Sadiqun third.

In Karbala, Reconstruction and Development came in first, State of Law second and Ishraqat Kanoon third.

In Ninawa, the Kurdistan Democratic Party came in first, followed by the Progress Party and Reconstruction and Development.

In Erbil, the Kurdistan Democratic Party topped the results, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan came in second and the National Stance Movement third.

In Duhok, the Kurdistan Democratic Party ranked first, the Kurdistan Islamic Union second and the National Stance Movement third.

In Salah al-Din, the Progress Party came in first, the Reconstruction and Development Coalition second and the Azem al-Iraq Alliance third.

In Anbar, the Progress Party came in first, the Hawiyetna (Our Identity) Coalition second and the Qom Party third.

In Kirkuk, the Progress Party ranked first, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan second, and the Unified Iraqi Turkmen Front third.

In Basra, the Tasmim Alliance topped the results, the Al-Sadiqun Movement came in second and Reconstruction and Development third.

In Sulaymaniyah, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan came in first, National Stance Current second and the New Generation Party third.

In Diyala, the Badr Organization came in first, the National Sovereignty-Tashree’ Alliance second and the Al-Sadiqun Movement third.

A total of 7,743 candidates contested the elections, including 2,247 women.

The current parliamentary term began on Jan. 9, 2022 and lasts four years. Under Iraqi law, parliamentary elections must be held at least 45 days before the end of the current legislative term.

Shia parties and blocs hold a majority in the current legislature. Power in Iraq is traditionally divided among the country’s main communities: the presidency goes to the Kurds, the premiership to the Shias, and the speakership of parliament to the Sunnis.