Analysis: Violence mars civilian participation in political process

Iraqi soldiers show purple fingers signifying their vote in last year's election.

Although a higher number of ordinary Iraqis went to the polls in Iraq's 2005 elections than its 2004 elections, it has not lead to the greater day-to-day involvement of citizens in building Iraq's democracy.

"We went to the polls and cast our votes under a deteriorated security situation with the expectation that as soon as the new government assumed its post, it was going to bring peace to Iraq," said Salah Haydar, 56, a shopkeeper in the capital, Baghdad.

"But the opposite happened - violence has increased and become worse. The new reconciliation plan has not shown success yet, and every day more ordinary Iraqis are dying from this violence," he added.

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