Afghan Elections

Sand

Surprised this hasnt popped up yet.

Early signs from the Afghan election are highly promising, a huge and enthusiastic turnout, with the Taliban and warlords seemingly unable to attack the elections - I saw one report in the Irish times where the Afghan security forces had to step in to rescue some would be local toughs trying to bully prospective voters into voting for their candidates when the crowd turned on them.

The opposition have called for a boycott of the election, and the UN is investigating its fairness - there was issues with the equipment the polling teams were issued with, pretty much a permament marker to "brand" people who voted to stop them double voting - but overall its likely the result will be upheld by the independant observers.

So thats the good news and undoubtedly it will be exploited by Bush to the hilt to try and maintain he knows what hes doing foreign policy wise.

Bads news is one successful election doesnt make a successful democracy. Afghanistan still has a hell of a lot of problem but the reports coming through seem to show a lot of determination and optimism amongst the people who came out despite the likelihood of terrorist attacks - if that spirit can be harnessed to some good government, strong diplomacy against the warlords and most importantly the creation of liberal safeguards over the next decade or so then Afghanistan should be well on its way to becoming a moderately prosperous, peaceful state.

Hobbes

Sand wrote:

The opposition have called for a boycott of the election, and the UN is investigating its fairness

I believe that all fell apart.

Bads news is one successful election doesnt make a successful democracy.

It isn't a democracy there at all. The warlords still run the country. Karzai is just a token president. Outside of the capital it is still much the same as when it was under taleban rule.

Sand

It isn't a democracy there at all.

Youre right. There isnt. At the present time. The point is theyre are trying to build one. In the future. This is a positive step towards the creation of a democracy. Complaining that it isnt Ireland when the immediate problem is actually laying the foundations for the next generation to build a democracy is a little short sighted.

Orwell was right. There are those whose view the future only as a continuation of the present.

DadaKopf

I don't know if anyone would be interested in reading stuff but this article by Peter Burnell, The Coherence of Democratic Peace-Building, explains the ins and outs of how difficult this process will be.

Burnell is an expert on democratisation.

mike65

Its good to have a bit of good news from that area, clearly they're a million miles from home but the fact that men and women can stand in a line and live to cast a vote is a huge step foward in itself.

Mike.

DadaKopf

Amazing how the timing of the election feeds into the hands of Bush's electioneering, too. :rolleyes:

the_syco

Its not getting publicity because
a) the Americans are doing something right
b) no americans are dieing
c) no-one is losing their head over it

mike65

Cynic!

Mike.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

sovtek

'Here's a direct quote from the campaign trail: "Vote for the president--or we'll burn your house down!" '

http://www.counterpunch.org/floyd10112004.html

I guess for an election of handpicked American candidates that still occupy the country and have the backing of certain...worse than the Taliban...types to interfer in elections (and who control most of the country)...it's just great.
I'm probably just a Bush hater to the core for pointing that out. :rolleyes:
/me *rolls thumbs*
I can only be meself......

Raskolnikov

sovtek wrote:

I guess for an election of handpicked American candidates that still occupy the country and have the backing of certain...worse than the Taliban...types to interfer in elections (and who control most of the country)...it's just great.

I'm curious, who are these worst than Taliban types?

mike65

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3738662.stm

Another major rival to Afghanistan's interim president, Hamid Karzai, has pulled out of a boycott of last Saturday's election.

Warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostum now says that he is instead supporting a United Nations investigation into complaints about the voting.

General Dostum was one of 15 candidates who called for the boycott.

It overshadowed what is widely viewed as being a hugely successful first election for Afghanistan.

Officials are hoping the counting of ballots will begin on Wednesday.

A UN-appointed investigation panel has given candidates another 48 hours to make complaints, extending the deadline until 1800 local time on 14 October.

But one of the members of the panel, Craig Jenness, indicated that it might be possible to start the count after isolating ballot boxes from polling stations mentioned in complaints received so far....

Mike.