Continued Lead of Muqtada al-Sadr's Supported List in Iraqi Elections

Initial results from 91% of votes counted in the parliamentary elections across 16 out of 18 provinces in Iraq indicate that the list supported by Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shia cleric, remains in the lead. According to Reuters, in the first general elections in Iraq after the defeat of the Islamic State group, ISIS, the list supported by Hadi al-Amiri, commander of Iran-backed militias, is currently in second place. The results announced early Tuesday pertain to 16 provinces, and it appears that the results from the provinces of Kirkuk and the Kurdish province of Duhok will be delayed. Reports indicate that the election results in Kirkuk, which is populated by Kurds, Sunni and Shia Arabs, Turkmen, and Christians, and Duhok have been delayed due to local party disputes. However, since the list supported by Muqtada al-Sadr did not participate in the elections in these two provinces, the results from these provinces will not affect Mr. Sadr's list's position. Reuters states that despite the fact that the list supported by Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, is in third place, he still seems to have a chance to form the next government. Mr. Abadi called on all parties and political groups on Tuesday to respect the results of the Iraqi parliamentary elections. He also expressed his readiness to cooperate with the list supported by Muqtada al-Sadr to form the next government. The Iraqi Election Commission reports that over 44% of eligible voters participated in the parliamentary elections on Saturday, marking the lowest turnout since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. According to the report, the lists supported by Muqtada al-Sadr and Hadi al-Amiri each secured first place in four provinces of Iraq, but the list supported by Muqtada al-Sadr managed to win in Baghdad, which has more seats. Muqtada al-Sadr previously led the Mahdi Army militia, which has a history of extensive conflicts with the Iraqi army and American and British forces, and has recently sought to distance himself from Iran.