Iraqi election officials say a Shi''ite Muslim coalition has won almost half the votes in last month's elections for a transitional national assembly.
They say a slate of Kurdish parties won 25 percent of the vote and an alliance led by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi finished third with 14%.
Some 8.5 million people took part, but tallies show few Sunni Muslims voted, leaving the former ruling minority with just a few seats in the 275-member assembly.
President Bush -- in a statement Sunday -- congratulated the Iraqi people for defying terrorist threats and moving forward on the path to democracy.
He says the United States and its coalition partners take pride in helping make the vote possible.
Also Sunday, an insurgent attack killed an American soldier near Samarra.
