I don't recall that it was being reported as "smooth" at all. I don't
think anyone expected that it would go smoothly; and frankly, even if
the election was on the up-and-up, how could anyone expect that one
group or another in Iraq would not challenge the results if they didn't
get their own slate elected? Surely our own relatively well-run US
elections have taught us that many things can and do wrong, not the
least of which is heated bickering afterwards.

There is absoutely nothing surprising about the aftermath so far.
Disappointing perhaps, but completely predictable.

Bruce Jensen