It appears that the elections went much better than expected on Sunday. Turnout was high. People danced around in the streets. President Bush and many in his administration called this a success. So far it is. But what follows the election is just as important as the election itself.
The Iraqi people showed a great deal of bravery. They ignored threats of attacks to go out and vote. Was the election perfect? Probably not. Will there be problems? Probably. But let's get this straight. It's a start. If the U.S. manages to leave Iraq a stable democracy that represents its people (all of them) I can at least say that something good came from the whole mess.
It is upsetting that so many Arab Sunnis didn't vote. Whether they stayed home because they feared retribution or just because they are resigned to tyranny of the majority is unknown to me. Their absence in this process is going to hurt this new nation. Although the former government was primarily made up of Sunni Arabs, I don't think most Sunni Arabs supported Saddam's actions. I also don't think that the average Iraqi blames them either.
Here is my hope. I would like to see these newly elected leaders tread lightly. I would like to see a constitution written that guarantees local autonomy so that all ethnicities, cultures and creeds can be represented and respected. Since the international community is insistent that this hodgepodge of people remains a single nation, I think that this is the only way to prevent tyranny of the majority and civil war.
Then maybe there will be more elections in Iraq. Maybe everyone will participate willingly. Maybe the cradle of civilization can again set the standard for the rule of law in the world.