- Mobile Edition - Mobile EditionIt is a pleasure to join other commentators in praising the enthusiasm shown by Iraqis in turning out to vote in elections Sunday that included the prime minister's seat. Votes from the estimated 3,000 polling places will take some time to tally, but turnout countrywide is estimated to be 62 percent. That percentage rivals countries where democracy has been practiced for some time.
In Baghdad, where there were some disruptive explosions from low-powered bottle devices, and perhaps a few mortar rounds fired, turnout was about 10 points less at 53 percent. But that is still a strong number.
Prime Minister Kamal al-Maliki had a challenger, with neither man expected to have a majority of his party members in the parliament. And National Public Radio reported that a third party candidate, a healthy sign that Iraqis are challenging the status quo, succeeded in putting several of his party members into the parliament.
Security by the military and paramilitary was high, and some polling places - reputedly three - did have to close briefly because of fear of violence. American troops were nearby but in the background, giving Iraqi forces the experience with security that they need and letting Iraqis see that it was their countrymen who largely maintained order.
There are plenty of shortcomings in the way political leadership mostly does not work in Iraq. Political alliances are still too often formed along ethnic or ideological lines, and decisions on major issues have largely been impossible to arrive at. Coalitions are fragile, and compromise is rare. There is corruption. The losers, of course, have been the Iraqi people who are desperate for effective leadership.
But the way Iraqis respond to elections has to be considered encouraging. The parliamentary elections in December 2005 were an eye-opener to the world, with an even higher turnout than occurred Sunday.
Large participation in elections will not do it all to set Iraq's successful course, but it is certainly an important ingredient.