Iraq poll critical for stability

Iraqis hope the national election will bring change to the country.

Iraq

After months of delay, Iraq finally set an election date for March 2010. The vote is seen as a critical step towards the withdrawal of US troops.

But can it herald a new era for a country besieged by years of violence and unrest?

Al Jazeera’s Mosab Jasim reports on Iraqis’ hopes for the upcoming ballot, but David Mack, a former US diplomat in Iraq, tells Al Jazeera that if political reconciliation cannot be reached, the election could cause more instability.

Source: Al Jazeera