In Baghdad on Tuesday, January 20, Iraqis are eagerly anticipating the upcoming elections at the end of the month, with over 400 parties and groups registering to field 14,431 candidates for 440 provincial council seats. The country, which has experienced brutal sectarian war in recent years, is showing strong enthusiasm for democracy as they prepare to vote. The US officials with troops stationed in Iraq are also closely watching the outcome of the elections. According to Western diplomats, the most significant accomplishment of the election may be simply the act of conducting it. They believe that a second round of elections is a more difficult test for a new democracy compared to the first. U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker emphasized that a series of elections, rather than just one, is what truly establishes a democracy. The election in Iraq is seen as a crucial indicator that the country has moved past the extreme violence that followed the 2003 invasion and intensified after the last election in 2005. Just a year and a half ago, it would have been impossible to hold a vote in Iraq due to high levels of violence. Many Iraqis are hopeful that the upcoming election will bring about change and reform regional governments that are perceived as corrupt and unaccountable. There is a widespread belief that current leaders have not performed well. However, the possibility of violence remains high in a country where political disputes are often settled with firearms and explosives. Two candidates have already been assassinated, and the deputy head of a Sunni Arab party was killed by a suicide bomber during a meeting with other candidates. The upcoming provincial election will have a significant impact on Iraq's political landscape, setting the stage for the national election later this year. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will be fighting to retain his mandate as U.S. forces are set to leave by the end of 2011. In the predominantly Shi'ite south, where the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI) currently holds control, Maliki's ruling coalition will be competing against each other for votes. While ISCI is expected to maintain its stronghold in the south, Maliki is aiming to gain support for his Dawa Party by promising improved services from the central government. Supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr, a Shi'ite cleric who has been critical of the United States, are maintaining a low profile. They are not running as a unified group, but are endorsing independent candidates. In Sunni Arab regions in western and central Iraq, tribal factions known as "Awakening Councils" are participating in the election for the first time. These councils aided American troops in removing Sunni extremists, such as al Qaeda, and are now aiming to gain power over traditional Sunni religious parties. The majority of the pre-election violence has occurred in the north, particularly in Nineveh province near Mosul, where US forces are engaged in combat with Sunni militants who are resisting after being expelled from other regions. The last round of elections saw many Sunni Arabs not participating, which allowed Kurds to gain control of the provincial government, leading to unrest according to Western diplomats. While the election could eventually bring Sunnis into the political process and reduce violence, the shift in power has fueled conflict among militant groups. In Kirkuk, a potentially volatile situation was avoided as the election was postponed indefinitely due to disagreements among Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen over voting rules for the city claimed by Kurds as their capital.