Members of Iraq 's Electoral Commission attend a press conference to announce the final results of Iraq's national elections in Baghdad February 17. Iraq's Shiite alliance has won a majority in the country's new National Assembly. (Xinhua)

Iraq's electoral commission has certified the results of the country's January 30 elections.

An official with the Independent Electoral Commission, Hamdiya al-Husseini announced that the Shiite clergy-backed United Iraqi Alliance has achieved a majority in the new parliament.

"First, the United Iraqi Alliance: 140 seats. Second, the Kurdistan Alliance: 75 seats. Third, the Iraqi List: 40 seats. Fourth, Iraqis: five seats," announced Hamdiya al-Husseini.

The allocation sets the stage for the first meeting of the new National Assembly, which will be in power for 10 months and draft a new constitution.

The first order of business will be to convene the 275-member assembly and elect a president and two vice presidents to largely ceremonial positions.

The president and vice presidents will then name a prime minister, an appointment that will be worked out in advance by the largest parties in the National Assembly.

Top Shiite politicians have agreed to choose their nominee for prime minister through a secret ballot, expected to take place on Friday which will decide a two-horse race between Ibrahim al-Jaafari and Ahmed Chalabi.

Kurdish parties have apparently agreed to support the alliance's candidate for prime minister in return for the largely ceremonial post of president.

But officials insisted they would not accept a theocratic government.