And it was widely considered the first test of this young democracy's commitment to ending decades of repression and impunity.
The elections will be the first test of Iraq's fragile democracy since the departure of American troops at the end of 2011.
Both events nudged Iraq further along the path of political instability before provincial elections in April, which will be the first test of Iraq's fragile democracy at the voting booth since the departure of American forces at the end of 2011.
Pakistanis began voting today in local elections that are seen as the first test of the military's commitment to restore democracy since it took power in a bloodless coup 14 months ago.
All the democracies failed this first test of collective security.
Sometimes that effort came rapidly unstuck, as this breezy report on Libya's "first major test of democracy" under the US-British puppet king Idris makes no effort to conceal.
The real test of democracy is always the second election, and Bhutan is currently in the middle of this grand process.
The day Hamas won the Palestinian democratic elections the world's leading democracies failed the test of democracy.
Mr Lagos admits that this document "doesn't pass the test of democracy".
A free, healthy press is still a fundamental test of democracy and open government.
Iran, an Iranian journalist tells her, "is nothing less... than a hot test of democracy".
