The secular tilt comes as Shiite leaders prepare for what they regard as a historic moment: after decades of official repression, the country's largest group now seems likely to take the helm of the Iraqi state. Mindful of that opportunity, and of previous opportunities missed, the Shiite leaders running for office say they are determined to exercise power in a moderate way, which would include bringing Sunnis into the government and ignoring some powerful voices in their own ranks that advocate a stronger role for Islam in the new constitution.This site contains a lot of details about how the campaigning is going in various cities/regions of Iraq. {Found through Iraq the Model.}
Yes, there are still lots of potential problems, but it seems to me that the Iraqi people are determined to make this work. Will the violence continue? Yes, but I suspect only for a while. Gradually more and more people will realize that the game is up. Only the most hard-line Islamists and ex-Ba'athists will want to refuse to accept the new reality as their nihilistic and/or fascistic ambitions become ever more transparent. I doubt there's any talking them around and eventually the new Iraqi government will kill (or capture) these hard-liners in order to finally restore order.
