BAGHDAD
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's alliance won last month's parliamentary poll but fell short of securing a majority, Iraq's election commission announced Monday.
Al-Maliki's State of Law alliance won 93 seats of the 328-member parliament, the commission announced at a press conference.
Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr's Al-Ahrar coalition trailed second with 31 seats, followed by the Al-Muwatin bloc led by Shiite leader Ammar al-Hakim, which clinched 29 seats.
On April 30, some 12 million Iraqis – except those in the violence-wracked Anbar province – voted in the parliamentary polls.
A total of 9200 parliamentary candidates contested the elections.
Al-Maliki needs support from 165 lawmakers to lead the next government.
In the last election, his alliance won 89 parliamentary seats, forcing him to align with other parliamentary blocs in order to form a government.
By Aref Youssef
englishnews@aa.com.tr
