An estimated seven million Afghans lined up on Saturday and ignored the looming danger of Taliban violence (5th April) to cast their votes in the nation’s momentous presidential election.
It was reported that in the earlier part of the day, a roadside bomb killed two policemen and injured two others in the city of Qalat. Another four voters were also wounded in an explosion that occurred in the south-eastern province of Logar.
According to election commission chief Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani, an unexpectedly high proportion of the eligible voting population registered its vote—around 58 per cent of 12 million eligible voters.
The Taliban, a terrorist outfit that dominated Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, threatened to derail the election and labeled it a US-supported and orchestrated fraud. It had warned civilians that if they voted, they would be targeted by the Taliban.
There are eight candidates standing for the election and it seems that this election will be Afghanistan’s first democratic transfer of leadership in recent times, as Hamid Karzai leaves the presidency after more than 12 years.
Haji Ramazan, a voter standing in line at a polling center in Kabul said, “I am here to vote and I am not afraid of any attacks. This is my right, and no one can stop me.”
Around 350, 000 Afghan troopers were stationed at polling centers and Kabul, the capital, had been sealed from the rest of the country through roadblocks and checkpoints.
Although the election is expected to run more smoothly than the last presidential election in 2009, it could still take until October for a winner to be announced at a period when foreign troops prepare to leave the country.
A prolonged election would not leave enough time to seal the pact between Kabul and Washington to keep 10,000 US troops in the country beyond 2014 after a majority of the American force has already pulled out. Although Karzai rejected the agreement, the election’s three top competitors—former foreign ministers Abdullah Abdullah and Zalmay Rassoul, and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani – have said they will sign it. Without the agreement, there is an imminent threat from the Taliban against the Kabul government that weak Afghan forces may struggle to curb.
According to Western diplomats, although Karzai’s departure is a turning-point for Afghanistan, none of his would-be successors would bring radical change.
- Shobhita Narain
It was reported that in the earlier part of the day, a roadside bomb killed two policemen and injured two others in the city of Qalat. Another four voters were also wounded in an explosion that occurred in the south-eastern province of Logar.
According to election commission chief Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani, an unexpectedly high proportion of the eligible voting population registered its vote—around 58 per cent of 12 million eligible voters.
The Taliban, a terrorist outfit that dominated Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, threatened to derail the election and labeled it a US-supported and orchestrated fraud. It had warned civilians that if they voted, they would be targeted by the Taliban.
There are eight candidates standing for the election and it seems that this election will be Afghanistan’s first democratic transfer of leadership in recent times, as Hamid Karzai leaves the presidency after more than 12 years.
Haji Ramazan, a voter standing in line at a polling center in Kabul said, “I am here to vote and I am not afraid of any attacks. This is my right, and no one can stop me.”
Around 350, 000 Afghan troopers were stationed at polling centers and Kabul, the capital, had been sealed from the rest of the country through roadblocks and checkpoints.
Although the election is expected to run more smoothly than the last presidential election in 2009, it could still take until October for a winner to be announced at a period when foreign troops prepare to leave the country.
A prolonged election would not leave enough time to seal the pact between Kabul and Washington to keep 10,000 US troops in the country beyond 2014 after a majority of the American force has already pulled out. Although Karzai rejected the agreement, the election’s three top competitors—former foreign ministers Abdullah Abdullah and Zalmay Rassoul, and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani – have said they will sign it. Without the agreement, there is an imminent threat from the Taliban against the Kabul government that weak Afghan forces may struggle to curb.
According to Western diplomats, although Karzai’s departure is a turning-point for Afghanistan, none of his would-be successors would bring radical change.
- Shobhita Narain