Although the final results of the Iraqi elections were not revealed because of significant problems in the counting mechanism, the political movement has not calmed down, not for the formation of the largest bloc but for what seems to observers as something else. Traditional Islamist political forces have been trying to absorb the shock that has revived the hopes of civil forces as the Sadrist movement swept the initial results and sought to become a larger bloc through the alliances, undermining the chances of Islamists to remain at the forefront of Iraqs political scene. “Two political projects have existed before the elections, and they still exist,” independent Iraqi politician and former MP Izzat al-Shabandar told Asharq Al-Awsat, explaining that each has its supporters and opposers. The first calls for a political majority on the condition that the next prime minister is chosen according to certain specifications and not necessarily from the same bloc. The second project, said Shabandar, calls for keeping the situation as it is and maintain the political consensus among the components that ultimately lead to the sharing of power and influence. This means the extension of the term of current Prime Minister Haider Abadi and the continuation of the Dawa Party in the rule of Iraq for another round. “The political majority is the best project to save Iraq from its suffering,” said Shabandar, adding “the previous experience of consensual rule in Iraq over three previous parliamentary rounds, which is a joint American-Iranian project, has failed, and it bears the results we have all reached today.” “This made the majority of political forces consider a national alternative represented in the political majority and the bloc that is formed on this basis.” “The political majority project provides the Sunni and Kurdish forces with better opportunities to participate in the ruling, especially that the Shiite group that advocates the political majority does not insist that the next prime minister necessarily be from the Dawa Party,” he stressed.