The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on Monday announced the preliminary results of early parliamentary elections, with the political group led by prominent Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the lead in some provinces.

The Sadrist Movement appeared in the lead with more than 70 seats in Baghdad and other central and southern provinces, while the State of Law Coalition, headed by former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, secured 35 seats in Baghdad and other central and southern provinces, according to local media counts.