The former U.S. administrator for Iraq has praised Sunday's election as a victory for democracy, and says it has proved skeptics wrong.
Speaking on American television (NBC's Today Show) Monday, Paul Bremer said the election was a great victory for the Iraqi people, for democracy and for President Bush's message of freedom.
Mr. Bremer said it is a mark of the resilience and courage of the Iraqi people that they have come this far. But he added that despite the apparent success of the vote, he expects more violence ahead.
Mr. Bremer also expressed optimism that Iraq would not fracture along ethnic and religious lines, and that the Sunni minority, which appears to have largely boycotted the vote, would have a voice in the new government.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.