Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said on Saturday the election in his war-ravaged country was a defeat for "terrorism and killings," and marked further progress in forging a democractic nation.
Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran hosted by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to mark Nowrouz, the Iranian and Kurdish New Year, Talabani hailed the peaceful staging of the Iraq election as a major political achievement.
"Millions of Iraqis took part in it defying terrorism and killings. The Iraqi people achieved another victory in their path of creating a democratic nation," Talabani said in Arabic at a ceremony also attended by his counterparts from Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
"The election opens a new phase of construction and development and the creation of a national government. Iraqi people are the biggest winners."
Iranians celebrated Nowrouz on March 20.
Former Iraqi premier Iyad Allawi's bloc has edged out incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's coalition in declared results from Iraq's election.
Allawi was to begin talks on Saturday to form a government, although his group failed to clinch a clear majority in the Iraqi parliament.
Allawi's group won 91 seats in the nationwide poll, just two ahead of Maliki's bloc.
The two groups were followed by the Iraqi National Alliance, a coalition led by Shiite religious groups, with 70 seats and Kurdistania, comprised of the autonomous Kurdish region's two long-dominant blocs, with 43 seats.
{{/usCountry}}The two groups were followed by the Iraqi National Alliance, a coalition led by Shiite religious groups, with 70 seats and Kurdistania, comprised of the autonomous Kurdish region's two long-dominant blocs, with 43 seats.
{{/usCountry}}The results of Iraq election come around five months before the United States is due to withdraw all of its combat troops from the country.