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The secularist Iraqiya coalition led by Iyad Allawi, the former premier, won the most seats in Iraq's March 7 parliamentary election, two more than incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's bloc.
Iraqiya won 91 seats in the 325-member Council of Representatives, while al-Maliki's State of Law Alliance won 89 seats, the independent electoral commission said on Friday.
The Iraqi National Alliance, a coalition of mostly Shia religious groups, came third with 70 seats. Kurdistania, comprised of the autonomous Kurdish region's two long-dominant blocs - the Kurdish Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, won 43 seats.
Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reporting from Baghdad says the list with the largest seats will be given "a first shot" to form a government which must hold at least a majority of 163 seats in the council.
According to the Iraqi constitution, if Allawi fails to do so within 30 days, the Iraqi president, who is elected by parliament, will designate the leader of another political list to form a coalition government.
Following the results announcement, Allawi pledged to "work with all sides" to form a coalition government.
Al-Maliki disputes results
However, in a press conference carried by Iraqi networks, al-Maliki said that the election results announced were "not final" and rejected the outcome.
PHOTO CAPTION
Faraj al-Haidari, head of Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), announces the official results of Iraq's general election in Baghdad.
Al-Jazeera
