The real battle for Iraq comes next: drafting a permanent constitution. (Financial Times)

STEVEN R. WEISMAN: The Great Middle East Shake-Up (New York Times)

[on the Kurds] 'I remember how we fought hard for many years for this'. (Financial Times) And similar from The Washington Post.

Monitors, exiles watch Iraq vote at a distance. (CTV [Canada])

Iraq Elections: A Mixed Story. I'm just appalled by the cheerleading tone of US news coverage of the so-called elections in Iraq on Sunday. I said on television last week that this event is a "political earthquake" and "a historical first step" for Iraq. [...] (Infoshop News)

China's state press pessimistic on Iraqi elections. (Channel NewsAsia)

[Bahrain] cabinet hails historic elections. (Gulf Daily News)

Michael Ignatieff: Iraqis fight a lonely battle for democracy. Whatever your view of the war, you should embrace today's election. (The Observer [UK])

Samuel Issacharoff: For Iraqis, a historic day (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Paul Richter: Outlook Brightens in Iraq, but There's No Quick Fix. (L.A. Times)