Iraqi PM Hopes For Peace Boost

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From 'International Herald Tribune': In neighborhoods once dominated by Shiite militias, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appeared to be riding high Saturday, with Iraqis saying they voted for his party in gratitude for driving the gunmen from the streets. "I have nothing to do with politics, but I voted for the man who made feel safe again," 71-year-old Zakiya Tahir said as she left a polling station in the Basra district of Hayaniyah, scene of fierce clashes last spring between government troops and Shiite gunmen. She pointed to a campaign poster featuring al-Maliki's dour face.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite, was not a candidate in Saturday's election, in which Iraqis chose members of ruling councils in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces. But the prime minister was hoping that a strong showing by his Coalition of the State of Law alliance would bolster his position against Shiite rivals ahead of national elections expected by the end of the year. But interviews with voters in parts of Basra and Baghdad once dominated by Shiite militias indicated that al-Maliki's prestige was riding high because of his crackdown on the gunmen last year.

Haider Mahmoud, 40, who is unemployed, said he faced pressure from his family to vote for the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the biggest Shiite party. "But I changed my mind and voted for al-Maliki's list, because if it weren't for him there would still be killing in the streets of Basra," he said. In Baghdad, the mood was festive in the Hurriyah neighborhood, scene of some of the most vicious Shiite-Sunni fighting in 2006. Whole families streamed out of the polling stations Saturday, and young boys took advantage of the vehicle curfew to play soccer in the streets.

"Al-Maliki has risen above partisan politics that have shackled political life in Iraq," said Ahmed Hussein after voting for the prime minister's coalition. "He has turned a very bad situation into a much better one. We can now move from one neighborhood to another feeling completely safe," Hussein said. Back in Basra, Ali Majid, 25, said he used to fear leaving home after sunset. All that changed after government forces regained control of the city after fighting last March. "When the militiamen were in charge, we used to see bodies lying in the streets every day," Majid said. "But now order and peace are restored. I voted for al-Maliki's representative because they proved they are trustworthy."