Iraq's Shi'ite ruling alliance wins more than 100 local council seats

BAGHDAD (Reuters) -Parties that make up Iraq's Shi'ite ruling alliance together took at least 101 seats of the 285 available in provincial council elections held this week, Iraqi state media reported, giving them the single-biggest share of seats.

Members of the Shi'ite Coordination Framework (CF) that already form the biggest single grouping in Iraq's parliament competed on three main lists but said they would govern together after the Dec. 18 provincial council vote, the first such agreement in a decade.

An electoral list bringing together several Iran-aligned military-political groups, including the Badr Organization and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, came first with 43 seats, followed by former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki's list with 35 seats.

A list bringing together moderate Shi'ite cleric Ammar al-Hakim and former prime minister Haidar al-Abadi got 23 seats.

Together, wins by these three lists give the CF 101 seats, though election observers, including Iraqi analyst Sajad Jiyad, of The Century Foundation think tank, said that wins by smaller lists affiliated with the CF meant they had significantly more than 101 in total.

Observers say the CF's win was enabled by an electoral boycott by their fiercest competitor, populist Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Separately, ousted Sunni parliament speaker Mohammed Halbousi, who took the most votes in Baghdad and Anbar province, won 22 seats, and Sunni business mogul Khamees Khanjar took 14.

A host of local lists and smaller groups took the remaining seats.

The election is seen as an indicator of the balance of power in a country where groups close to neighbouring Iran have steadily gained influence, and comes ahead of 2025 parliamentary polls.

(Reporting by Timour Azhari; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Bernadette Baum)