Iraq Today Has Good Reason To Celebrate: The Elections Shown That Country Is Back On The Road To Permanent Stability Gulf News

It is time to congratulate Iraq. And in the words of one Iraqi, democracy "is our fate".

The scenes of thousands of Iraqis queuing up outside polling stations reflect the faith they have finally embraced, that their future is decided by the ballot box, not by armed conflicts and sectarian strife.Image Credit: APIraqis yesterday defied terrorist attacks to turn out in huge numbers to vote in a crucial election, widely seen as a decisive process that can reshape the country's politics and decide its future.

The scenes of thousands of Iraqis queuing up outside polling stations reflect the faith they have finally embraced, that their future is decided by the ballot box, not by armed conflicts and sectarian strife.

Reports talked of a festive atmosphere despite the few bombings and the threat by Al Qaida of attacks.

"We don't care about the bombs. The people will vote," Abbas Hussain, an Iraqi citizen from Baghdad, told reporters. He summed up the spirit of millions of people who showed the world yesterday that democracy, although still fragile, can take hold in Iraq despite the ethnic and sectarian divide and the challenge to security, represented by Al Qaida and other terrorist groups.

Many people doubted the ability of Iraqis to embrace democracy as a way of life. They talked of an alleged ‘enshrined culture of violence' in Mesopotamia. Iraqis yesterday not only disappointed the terrorists, but also proved that they will not give in to division. Most competing electoral lists included candidates who cut across ethnic, religious and sectarian lines.

Iraq today has a very good reason to celebrate. It has concluded an election in which millions of people voted without the kind of violence and bloodshed that the cynics had anticipated, and perhaps hoped for.

It doesn't matter who wins. And it doesn't matter who forms the next government. We can confidently say that Iraq is solidly on the right track to permanent stability. The success of the elections will not only boost citizens' belief in democracy, but is also proof that terrorism can no longer intimidate the population.

It is time to congratulate Iraq. And in the words of one Iraqi, 46-year-old English teacher Arabiya Al Samarraie, democracy "is our fate".