ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on Wednesday released 99.74 percent of the results for Iraq's parliamentary elections, confirming a significant lead for the coalition led by sitting Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, followed by Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
The preliminary count for the 329-seat Council of Representatives secured the first position for the Sudani-led Reconstruction and Development Coalition, earning more than 1.3 million votes.
Despite the strong performance by Prime Minister Sudani's coalition, he is now to begin politicking to bring together the 165 lawmakers needed to form the largest bloc - a prerequisite to nominate Iraq’s next premier. Of note, Sudani has not shied down from expressing his keenness to secure another term in office. The named prime minister will be tasked with forming Iraq’s next cabinet.
Soon after the results announcement, Sudani took to X to announce that his coalition is "first” because “we believe that ‘Iraq comes first.’”
He added, "We extend our deep gratitude to the Iraqi people for their support in the path of work, construction, and achievement.”
Top winners
The KDP, led by President Masoud Barzani, has come in second, securing over one million votes.
"I would like to convey my warm congratulations to members, supporters, and the leadership of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on this big victory that we achieved," KDP Deputy President Nechirvan Barzani said in a video message. "Together, we surpassed the one-million vote challenge."
Barzani went on to say: "This adds a huge force to the KDP, and a huge force to Kurdistan. God willing, with your support, we will make the KDP bigger, and make Kurdistan stronger."
The State of Law Coalition, spearheaded by former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki (2006-2014), came in fourth place, earning more than 727,000 of votes.
The Sadiqoon Bloc, an affiliate of the Qais al-Khazali-led Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq armed group, earned the fifth spot, with over 685,000 votes.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) - the second largest political party in the Kurdistan Region - followed in sixth position, earning over 516,000 votes, followed closely by the Hadi al-Ameri-led Badr Organization with over 512,000 votes.
The National State Forces Alliance - led by Ammar al-Hakim, a prominent Shiite cleric and head of al-Hikmah Movement, and former prime minister Haider al-Abadi (2014-2018) - secured the eighth-highest total of votes, garnering over 492,000 votes.
The Azm Alliance, led by prominent Sunni politician Muthanna al-Samarrai, secured the ninth position with over 483,000 votes, followed by the Sovereignty Alliance led by prominent Sunni businessman and politician Khamis al-Khanjar who garnered a notable 292,000 votes.
The overall voter turnout was confirmed by the IHEC to be 56.11 percent of eligible voters, a notable increase from the previous 2021 election when the turnout stood at around 12 points less.