Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's political bloc won the most seats in parliament after Tuesday's election, final results showed, Reuters reported.
Despite the victory, the new government will likely need months to choose a prime minister.
The next government must carefully balance the influence of the United States and Iran. It must deal with dozens of armed groups close to Iran, which are much closer to the Iranian authorities than to the Iraqi authorities, while it is under pressure from Washington to disarm those groups.
Sudani's list came first, winning 46 seats in the 329-member parliament, the Election Commission said.
The "Progress" Party (Taqaddum), which draws support mainly from the Sunni west and north, won 27 seats.
The "State of Law" party of former Iraqi President Nouri al-Maliki won 29 seats, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party - 26.
Turnout reached 56.11 percent, the Election Commission said.
Parties in Iraq's ruling Shiite alliance said after the results were announced that they considered themselves the largest bloc in parliament. In a statement issued after a meeting attended by Sudani, the alliance said it would move the process of nominating a prime minister to the next stage.
In last week's election, Sudani tried to win a second term, but many disillusioned young voters said the vote was simply a means to distribute Iraq's oil wealth.
Sudani tried to position himself as a leader who could make the country successful after years of instability. He also spoke out against the traditional parties that brought him to power.