Baghdad: Nationalist alliance headed by Moqtada Sadr won the Iraq parliamentary elections. He had led two uprisings against the US-led invasion of Iraq. He is also strongly opposed to Iranian involvement in the country. Though he cannot become prime minister as he did not stand as a candidate, he is expected to play a major role in forming the new government.
These elections were the first since Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State group in December. Some 5,000 American troops remain in Iraq supporting local forces, which were fighting IS.
Sadr’s Saeroun bloc won 54 seats while Prime Minister Abadi’s party won 42. The pro-Iranian Fatah alliance went into second place with 47 seats.