In the years following the last time Iraqis showed their ink-stained fingers as proof of voting in a free election, the country has experienced and emerged from a brutal sectarian war. As Iraq's leaders, citizens, and US officials with troops stationed there await the upcoming elections at the end of the month, there is a sense of anticipation. Despite the challenges, there is a strong enthusiasm for democracy nearly six years after the US-led invasion. Over 400 parties and groups have registered to field a large number of candidates for a limited number of provincial council seats. Campaigning has led to the rapid appearance of campaign posters on the concrete blast walls that have become a common sight in Iraq. The most significant accomplishment of the election might just be the act of conducting it. According to Western diplomats, a subsequent round of elections, such as this one, can prove to be a more difficult milestone for a fledgling democracy compared to the initial one. U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker stated, "A single election does not establish a democracy. It is a series of elections that truly do." The election serves as a crucial indication that Iraq has moved past the peak of violence that plagued the country following the 2003 invasion and intensified after the previous election in 2005. Just 18 months ago, it may have been impossible to hold a vote due to the high monthly death tolls from violence. Many Iraqis are hoping the upcoming election will bring about reform in regional governments that are perceived as corrupt, unaccountable, and influenced by feuding sectarian groups. There is a widespread belief that current leaders have performed poorly, according to a senior Western diplomat. However, the potential for violence remains high in a country where political disputes are often settled with guns and bombs. Recently, two candidates have been assassinated and the deputy head of a Sunni Arab party was killed in a suicide bombing during a meeting with other candidates. The upcoming provincial election will have a significant impact on the national election later this year, where Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will be seeking to retain his position. This will determine the direction of Iraq's future post the departure of U.S. forces by the end of 2011. In the predominantly Shi'ite south, Maliki's ruling coalition will be competing against each other, with the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI) currently holding control. Maliki aims to gain support for his Dawa Party by promising improved services from a centralized government. Supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr, a Shiite cleric who has a history of opposing the United States and led the Mehdi Army militia in southern towns until a crackdown by Maliki last year, are maintaining a low profile. They are not running as a unified group, but instead are endorsing independent lists of candidates. In Sunni Arab regions in western and central Iraq, tribal factions called "Awakening Councils" will be participating in the election for the first time. These councils aided U.S. troops in ousting Sunni extremists, such as al Qaeda, and are now seeking to gain control from traditional Sunni religious parties. Most of the violence leading up to the election has occurred in the north, particularly in Nineveh province near Mosul, where U.S. forces continue to engage in combat with Sunni militants who are resisting after being pushed out of other territories. The last election saw many Sunni Arabs not participating, which allowed Kurds to gain control of the provincial government in a province where they are a minority. This imbalance has contributed to unrest, according to Western diplomats. While the election could eventually help reduce violence by involving Sunnis in politics, the changing power dynamics in the province have given militant groups a reason to fight. In Kirkuk, a potentially volatile situation has been avoided as the election has been postponed indefinitely due to disagreements among Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen over voting rules.