Iraqi political blocs on Sunday announced the formation of the largest alliance that would form the next Iraqi government at the eve of the first parliament session.
The largest alliance comprises, so far, of 162 lawmakers from 11 parliamentary blocs, according to a document signed by the leaders of the blocs, published by local Sharqiya News.
The alliance includes the blocs of Sadr-backed Sairoon, Abadi's Nasr, Hikma led by Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim and Wataniyah, led by Shiite secular Ayad Allawi, in addition to Iraqi Qarar Coalition led by former Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi and smaller parliamentary blocs.
The political blocs agreed to name their new alliance as "Alliance of Reform and Building" that would form the Iraqi government in the next four years.
The number of lawmakers to join the largest alliance is increasing as the first parliamentary session is approaching.
On Aug. 19, Sairoon, Nasr, Hikma and Wataniyah formed a core of the largest alliance and called on other political blocs to join them.
"We agreed today to form a core for an alliance seeking to form a parliamentary alliance that can form the government. We have decided at this meeting to open up to our other partners to contribute together to the formation of this (largest) alliance," a joint statement by the four blocs said.
The announcement of the largest alliance came as negotiations are going on to form the largest alliance before the first session of the new parliament.
The negotiations have intensified since the Federal Supreme Court ratified the final results of May 12 parliamentary elections on Aug. 19, marking the first step toward forming the new Iraqi government.
According to Iraqi Constitution, the outgoing President Muhammad Fuad Masoum called on the new parliament to hold its first session on Monday under the chairmanship of the eldest parliament member, to elect a president of parliament and the president of the country, who will ask the largest alliance to form a government within 30 days.
On May 12, millions of Iraqis went to 8,959 polling centers across the country to vote for their parliamentary representatives in the first general election since Iraq's historic victory over the Islamic State militant group in December 2017.
