October 15: One small step for Iraq

Blog byte of the day from the blog Or Does It Explode?:

Three years ago on October 15, Iraqis went to the polls for a tense election showdown between Saddam Hussein and himself. The razor-thin margin of victory was a mere .01%... under 100%.
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Three years later, October 15 sees another election. This time, thanks to a relative lack of terror attacks, we get to see civil society in action on a national scale. The results of the constitutional referendum are not guaranteed - and so individual Iraqis seem to understand that their vote makes a difference in determining the outcome. And even if the constitution indeed passes, various interests groups will be able to continue to shape its form through parliamentary debate and negotiation.