Last week's elections in Iraq are "a landmark day in the history of liberty," said the President in a Sunday night address. They "the beginning of something new: constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East."

James Phillips agrees and looks ahead to the challenges the new government will face. Most immediately, Iraq's political factions must work towards "forging a stable ruling coalition, agreeing on a power-sharing formula, and performing the daily work of government"--no easy tasks.

Expect a period of uncertainty while the new government forms. This process may be messy and slow, but "it holds the promise of drawing in enough Sunni Arab political leaders to drain support for the insurgency."

"In the long run," concludes Phillips, "it will be less important how quickly a government is formed than how effectively it can deliver political stability, security, the rule of law, and an economic revival to the Iraqi people." Last week's elections were a strong step in that direction.

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Read After the Elections: The Road to Political Stability in Iraq by James Phillips

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