Cleric Sadr leads in Iraq polls, power still a far cry

Baghdad, May 19: The final results of Iraq’s elections confirmed on Saturday a breakthrough for nationalist cleric Moqtada Sadr, who was in the lead, ahead of internationally favoured prime minister Haider al- Abadi.

But the possibilities for alliances to form a coalition government remain wide open. None of the three leading groups won more than 50 seats in Parliament in the May 12 vote, which saw record high abstentions with just 44.52 per cent turnout — the lowest since the first multiparty elections in 2005.

In a system calibrated to divide parliament after the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein following the American- led invasion of 2003, Moqtada Sadr’s Marching Towards None of the three leading groups won more than 50 seats in Parliament The May 12 vote saw high abstentions with just 44.52 per cent turnout Sadr ruled out being PM, but wants to be kingmaker Reform alliance is far from assured of governing Iraq for the next four years.

Sadr, who has ruled himself out of becoming prime minister, is looking to be the kingmaker and to cobble together a technocrat government from a dozen parties.

But despite leading the tally, his alliance falls short of a majority and it will take lengthy wrangling to forge a coalition.

Negotiations to form a coalition government began as soon as the vote ended a week ago, with the involvement of the US and Iran — who both oppose the firebrand Shiite leader.