Nouri Al Maliki, who is intent on securing a third term as prime minister when Iraq goes to the polls today, hopes that voters will favourably compare their situation now to the Iraq of 2006, when he was first elected. By that measure, most Iraqis are better off today – eight years ago, the nation was effectively in the midst of civil war in the aftermath of the US-led invasion. But comparisons to 2006 could prove to be something of a double-edged sword, with many observers blaming Mr Al Maliki’s divisive brand of sectarian politics for causing the country to slide back into a period of violence.
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