BAGHDAD–A political bloc led by populist Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a long-time adversary of the United States who also opposes Iranian influence in Iraq, has won the country’s parliamentary election, the electoral commission said on Saturday.
Sadr himself cannot become prime minister because he did not run in the election, though his bloc’s victory, puts him in a position to have a strong say in negotiations. His Sairoon electoral list captured 54 parliamentary seats.
