Diplomat: Iraqi vote a partial solution

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Iraqis see the March elections as a turning point in post-war development, though analysts say the poll is only a part of the reconciliation process.

Iraqis head to the polls to pick their next government in parliamentary elections scheduled for March 7. After months of deliberations, Iraqi lawmakers passed amendments to a 2005 election law that gave voters the right to pick their leaders directly, rather than choosing political slates as they did in previous elections.

The 2010 vote comes at a critical time for Iraq as Baghdad prepares for the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces. Politically, the vote will be defining as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki faces challenges for a second term in office.

Others, however, expressed concern that the months leading up to the election could turn violent as insurgent groups and political sniping move to the streets. David Mack, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs and U.S. envoy to the United Arab Emirates, told al-Jazeera that the vote is only part of the solution in Iraq.

Mack said the March elections were "useful as a tool" in the broader reconciliation process, but warned political matters cannot be resolved without comprehensive agreements between the Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish leaders in Iraq.

Nevertheless, he said, U.S. forces will "work rather studiously" to make sure their military deadlines in Iraq are met.