Iraq electoral commission releases preliminary results of parliamentary election

BAGHDAD, May 19 (UPI) -- The Independent High Electoral Commission announced on Monday the preliminary results for Iraq's April 30 parliamentary elections.

Both U.S. Embassy Baghdad and United Nations Iraq welcomed the announcement, with the embassy hailing the preliminary results "a testament to the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people, and another milestone in the democratic development of Iraq."

62 percent of Iraq's 22 million eligible voters cast their ballots on April 30.

IHEC's preliminary results show that Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki's State of Law party captured 92 of the 328 seats in the Council of Representatives. Although Maliki's State of Law won the most parliamentary seats, SOL failed to capture a majority in the election, which could affect Maliki's bid to continue as prime minister.

SOL rival Shia groups Muwatin and Ahrar won a total of 57 seats.

The Sunni Mutahidoun bloc, headed by Parliamentary Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, obtained 23 seats, while former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Wataniya list got 21 seats, and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq's Arabiya List claimed 10 seats.

"As the people of Iraq have now spoken, I call upon all elected representatives to work together for the future of Iraq." -- Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq Nickolay Mladenov

The April 30 parliamentary elections were the first such elections since the U.S. military withdrew in 2011.