UN hails Iraq election results

It might be viewed as a step in the right direction but the real test will be when the allied troops pull out.

The test will be when they have elections in the areas where they couldn't have elections this time round . Especially since in the areas adjoining those disputed areas the arab nationalist parties made significant gains in this election .
It will be an entirely different scenario than that which just played out , as in this recent election Maliki had the benefit that the main opposition that he had to worry about both electorally and violence wise was under the patronage of the same people his own political group is under .