BAGHDAD: Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi’s list appears to be leading in Iraq’s parliamentary election followed by influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr’s alliance, an election commission source and a security official said.
Abadi won 60 seats and Al-Sadr's coalition has 51, out of the total votes counted so far.
The sources cited unofficial initial results.
Iraqis voted on Saturday in the first election since the defeat of Daesh militants inside the country. Final results are expected on Monday.
Turnout was low at around 45 percent, according to the election commission.
Abadi, a rare ally of both the United States and Iran, was mainly concerned with fending off Shiite groups other than Sadr’s alliance, which are seeking to pull the country closer to Tehran.
Unofficial results compiled by Reuters reporters in southern provinces also indicated that Sadr, a firebrand cleric who led a violent uprising against US troops from 2003-2011, appeared to be making a strong showing.
If the Sadr list finished second, that would mark a surprise comeback by the cleric. He is popular among the poor but has been sidelined by influential Iranian-backed figures.
