Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada chief, Hakim discuss post-election landscape

BAGHDAD – Abu Alaa Al-Walaie, secretary-general of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, met Wednesday with Ammar Al-Hakim, head of the National Wisdom Movement, to discuss the political landscape following Iraq’s recent parliamentary elections.

In a statement, Al-Walaie said the two leaders held “an in-depth discussion on the developments in the political scene in Iraq, particularly after the recent parliamentary elections and their outcomes, which reflected increased voter participation and public support for the political system.”

Iraqis voted for all 329 seats in the Council of Representatives on Nov. 11.

Al-Walaie stressed “the need to adhere to the constitutional deadlines for selecting the three presidencies,” and said “political consensus among various forces is important and necessary for forming the government within the specified constitutional timeframe.”

Preliminary results show the Reconstruction and Development Coalition led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani won 46 seats, the largest single share, but no party or coalition secured a majority. Government formation will require alliances and compromises among several blocs.

Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, top state positions and cabinet posts are typically divided among Shia, Sunni, Kurdish and minority forces, a process that often entails extended negotiations over the three presidencies and ministerial portfolios.