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These elections will certainly be seen as a big success - despite the depressing level of violence, which demonstrates that it is still altogether untrue to suggest that Iraq is now a country at peace.

But it is reasonable now to include Iraq in the world's list of democracies.

This is the second parliamentary election in seven years which has been properly conducted.

The threat to the polls here does not come from government interference with the voting system or the count.

It comes from small groups of extremists - mostly supporters of al-Qaeda, or of the former dictator, Saddam Hussein - who simply cannot accept the democratic process here.