Multiple news sources are available for this one, so please feel free to choose your own slanted news source if you'd like more details.
In my case, I'm going off of info that was posted at MSNBC.com, but again, I could have chosen any of several sources to tell me the same basic thing -- Iraqi's have voted on their constitution, and apparently passed it -- despite attempts by large blocks of Sunni voters to vote no (not in large enough blocks in enough provinces though) -- with little or no violence during the voting.
While there have been continuing acts of terrorism leading up to the vote, and while security for delivering the ballots to the polling places was extraordinary, the voting itself came off with little or no violence. Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds were all able to get to the polling places if they desired, and were able to vote their consciences. If they really didn't want the constitution to pass they could vote no -- as many Sunnis did in a few provinces. Unfortunately for those Sunnis, who used to rule with Saddam's iron fist from their minority stake, they now find themselves in the minority in the country, and they are having to live in a democracy where their votes are no over-valued in relation to their status in the country.
There's still room for concern that the Sunnis won't accept the vote or the constitution that it leads to. They could instead try to incite a civil war against both the Kurds and Shiites, but doing so could lead to genocide against them as their numbers are completely drowned out by the numbers of their countrymen (and countrywomen). They could choose to continue to bleed off the majority numbers of their neighbors through acts of terror and cowardice, but if they do that and get caught they face death or other severe punishment. If they use suicide attacks, they dwindle their own numbers. And regardless of which potential disruptive tactics they may use, they could very well find themselves squashed by the majority of the country via rule of law or just revenge seekers among the majority.
Iraq seems to be headed for a democractic destiny with no chance of avoiding it now.
