A woman in Sulaimani province cast her vote for the Iraqi parliamentary elections wearing traditional Kurdish attire adorned with the Kurdistan flag. | Rudaw English

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s coalition has come first in the parliamentary election, winning by a margin of around 370,000 votes. While al-Sudani points to a 56% participation rate as a sign of renewed trust in the political system, turnout remained low in key cities after cleric Muqtada al-Sadr urged supporters to boycott the “flawed election.” With no party able to govern alone in Iraq’s 329-seat parliament, coalition negotiations are expected to take months. Analysts warn th