ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq’s top Sunni political parties are set to hold a meeting on Sunday, aimed at unifying their forces before entering into negotiations on government formation following the recent parliamentary elections.

Iraq held parliamentary elections on November 11, from which the Sunni parties emerged with at least 75 seats out of the 329-seat legislature.

Khamis al-Khanjar, leader of the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance, on Saturday called for a meeting between the winning Sunni parties to discuss next steps, and seek “a comprehensive position that achieves the aspirations, demands, and interests of our people in all our provinces.”

The meeting will be held at Khanjar’s office in Baghdad, according to Mohammed Abbas al-Tai, a spokesperson for the Sovereignty Alliance.

The spokesperson told The New Region that the meeting aims to "unify positions and prepare a unified agenda for Sunni parties, in addition to discussing the entitlements of the Sunni component in the next Iraqi government.”

Tai stressed that the current phase requires the Sunnis to negotiate with other parties with one delegation, rather than multiple delegations.

Mohammed al-Halbousi’s Taqadum Party and its coalitions scored the highest number of seats among the Sunni forces in the recent elections, securing 36 seats.

With the final results announced, the upcoming Iraqi parliament must hold its first session within 15 days, during which the representatives elect a speaker, a post that traditionally goes to a Sunni Arab.

Within 30 days of the first session, the parliament must also elect a president for the country, which is a post traditionally reserved for Kurds but one that the Sunnis have also expressed interest in recently.