Now that the religious political bloc of the Islamic Shiites has triumphed in the Iraqi National Assembly election, it can take the initiative in the transitional administration that follows the present interim government. The U.S. strategy of turning Iraq into a model of democratization for the Middle East would seem to be working, at least in a limited way.

Still, conditions in Iraq hardly reflect steady progress toward stability. Public order has been deteriorating as attacks and acts of terror by armed groups have intensified. Struggles reportedly have been brewing even among political parties over the appointment of leading officials in the transitional government. The new leadership must fulfill a heavy responsibility in building a new Iraq of national reconciliation that transcends religious and ethnic differences.

The United Iraqi Alliance of the Shiites won a clear majority to become the largest party in the assembly. The second largest is a powerful Kurdish alliance. As a result, religious and ethnic influences are expected to be strong in the country's politics. If these differences should become entrenched, however, efforts to foster democracy will be stymied and the risk of open conflict will deepen. Ensuring national unity, therefore, is a matter of top priority.