Observers Give Afghan Parliamentary Elections High Marks

In a September 16th editorial the Washington Post strongly criticized pessimistic views of the democracy process in Afghanistan as being short sighted.  It described Afghan progress toward democracy since the US invasion four years ago as a “breathtaking leap.”  The editorial conceded that Afghanistan is not without troubles, citing the continued fighting with the Taliban, opium production, and weak overall economy. However, it cautioned that the many criticisms and failings of the political process, while important, should not be the main story.  The Post noted that none of Afghanistan's neighbors has held a democratic election, thus “plac[ing] Afghanistan ahead” of those in the region.

In a September 19 statement, Condoleezza Rice complimented Afghans on their continuing efforts to build democratic institutions and said that the US anticipated that the “final results” of the process would “fairly express their wishes.”  She than reaffirmed the US 's commitment to helping “the Afghan people…on their democratic journey.”

Elsewhere, the election received generally favorable press coverage, although there was some speculation that the voter turn out of 50%, down from the 70% turnout in the presidential election almost a year ago may be a sign that many Afghans did not consider their vote useful or were intimidated by threats of terrorism or violence.  The New York Times quoted Afghan officials as saying that the low turnout was a result of confusion over the approximately 5,800 candidates running, not terrorism or a lack of progress.

The New York Times suggested that the make-up of the parliament would be a vital issue, due to the possibility that some Afghan warlords may have been elected.

Sources:

"Afghanistan Votes,” Washington Post Editorial, September 16: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/15/AR2005091502039.html

Secretary Rice's September 18 statement: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2005/53459.htm

"Afghan Voters Take Next Step to Democracy,” Carlotta Gall and Somini Sengupta of the New York Times , September 19: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/19/international/asia/19afghan.html