Iraq Learns How To Democrat

Iraqis are electing new provincial councils in the first nationwide vote in four years.
Security is tight and thousands of observers are monitoring the polls. At least eight of the 14,000 candidates have been killed in the run up to the election. While the recent level of violence around Iraq is significantly lower than in past years, Iraq's international borders have been shut, traffic bans are in place across Baghdad and major cities, and curfews have been introduced. Up to 15 million Iraqis are eligible to cast votes. "This is a great chance for us, a great day, to be able to vote freely without any pressure or interference," a Baghdad voter identified as Hamid told Reuters news agency.
Sunnis largely and publically boycotted the last ballot. Some, like Khaled al-Azemi, said the boycott last time had been a mistake.
"We lost a lot because we didn't vote and we saw the result; sectarian violence" he told the BBC. "That's why we want to vote now to avoid the mistakes of the past."