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Fact Files
Afghan Presidential Election 2004
Contents
Preface
Preface The first ever elections on the basis of adult franchise were held in Afghanistan on 9 October 2004. This epoch making event materialized after about a quarter century (1979-2004) of turmoil: resistance against Soviet military occupation (1979-89), internecine warfare (1989-2001), air and missile attacks by the United States against the forces of Mullah Muhammad Omar and consequent insurgency by Taliban and private militias (2001-2004). The Bonn Conference 2001 held under the UN auspices decided a road map leading to framing of country’s Constitution and Presidential election. These elections were the culmination of the Bonn process. In June 2002 loya jirga (Grand Council of Afghan Elders) elected Mr. Hamid Karzai as an Interim Head of State and in January 2004 a new constitution was adopted. Eighteen candidates contested the above elections. Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun, won by a distinct majority, capturing 55.4% of the total votes. His closest rival, Yunoos Qanooni, a Tajik, could get only 16.3% votes. Fifteen candidates opposing Karzai complained of fraud and improper procedure. Independent observers however viewed the elections as “mostly fair”. The Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan composed of 13 Afghan non-governmental organizations have affirmed that elections were fairly conducted. Regardless of protestations, it was a historic election where more than ten million voters were registered and the bulk of them, including a large number of women, voted in spite of security threats emanating from insurgent forces. International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Afghan national forces ensured security and maintained law and order to make the elections peaceful. US President George W. Bush has claimed the elections as his “foreign policy success”. In any case, it is a milestone and, it is hoped, it will be the first step towards a peaceful, prosperous, democratic and united Afghanistan. Noor ul Haq
Islamabad
A Short History of Afghanistan Present-day Afghanistan is around 1500 and 800 BC part of Ariana. Ariana is conquered by Persia in the sixth century BC. In 328 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedon enters the territory to capture Bactria. Invasions by the Scythians, White Huns and Turkic tribes follow in succeeding centuries. Mentionable is the rule since the first century by the Kushanas, a Buddhist people. In 642 the Caliphate invades the entire region and introduces Islam. The rule of the Caliphate is replaced by a temporary Persian rule until the area is conquered by the Turkic Ghaznavids in 998. Ghazni is turned into a great cultural center as well as a base for frequent forays into India. Various princes attempt to rule sections of the country until the Mongol invasion of 1219 led by Genghis Khan. Following Genghis Khan's death in 1227, a succession of chiefs and princes struggle for supremacy until late in the 14th century, when one of his descendants, Tamerlane, incorporates Afghanistan into his own vast Asian empire. Babur, a descendant of Tamerlane and the founder of India's Mogul dynasty at the beginning of the 16th century, makes Kabul the capital of an Afghan principality. In 1747 Afghanistan liberates itself from the Empire of the Great Mogul. The State of Afghanistan is formed and Ahmad Shah Durrani establishes his rule. Throughout his reign, Durrani consolidates chieftainships, petty principalities and fragmented provinces into one country. His rule extends from Mashad in the west to Kashmir and Delhi in the east, and from the Amu Darya (Oxus) River in the north to the Arabian Sea in the south. From time to time separate Afghan states are installed in Kandahar and Herat. Though the country is united since then, it has to accept after the second Anglo-Afghan war (1878-80), that brings Amir Abdur Rahman to the throne, a British protectorate in 1881. The British retain effective control over Kabul's foreign affairs. After the third Anglo-Afghan war in 1919, Britain relinquishes its control over Afghan foreign affairs by signing the Treaty of Rawalpindi. This means full independence of Afghanistan and the establishment of a more or less constitutional monarchy. King Amanullah (1919-29) renames the country Kingdom of Afghanistan in 1926 and introduces modernization and secularization. This leads to his assassination and a short civil war. In 1929 Nadir Shah becomes king. Four years later, however, he is assassinated in a revenge killing by a Kabul student. In 1933 Mohammed Zahir Shah becomes king. He introduces in 1964 a liberal constitution providing for a two-chamber legislature to which the king appointed one-third of the deputies. The people elected another third, and the remainder were selected indirectly by provincial assemblies. He permits a multi-party system. This leads to the formation of the communist Hizb-i-Democratic-i-Khalq (People's Democratic Party, HDK), which had close ideological ties to the Soviet Union. In 1967, the PDPA split into two major rival factions: the Khalq (Masses) faction headed by Noor Mohammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin and supported by elements within the military, and the Parcham (Banner) faction led by Babrak Karmal. After a coup d'état in 1973 Afghanistan becomes a dictatorial republic and is renamed Republic of Afghanistan. Mohammed Daoud, until that moment prime minister, becomes president. In 1978 the HDK seizes power and a communist dictatorship is established under the HDK, lead by Noor Mohammed Tarraki (1978-1979). The country is renamed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. When Taraki is assasinated in 1979 he is succeeded by Hafizullah Amin (1979). At that moment the USSR invades the country and installs after the assasination of Amin, Babrak Karmal as new president. Islamic factions start a guerilla war against the regime and the soviet-occupation. In an attempt to moderate Afghanistan is renamed into Republic of Afghanistan in 1987. Karmal is replaced by Mohammed Najibullah in 1986. In 1990 the Islamic mujaheddin (Holy Warriors) expel the communist dictatorship. Though a central government is installed, de facto the country is ruled by warlords. In 1992 the central government renames the country into the Islamic State of Afghanistan. Burhanuddin Rabbani becomes president. The civil war continues and in 1996 the Taleban movement of spiritual leader Mullah Mohammad Omar seizes power in most of the country. Afghanistan becomes a theocratic dictatorship and is renamed Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Mullah Mohammad Omar is appointed president. After an invasion by the United States in 2001, followed by a popular uprising, the dictatorship collapses. Afghanistan gets a transition governement and is renamed Islamic State of Afghanistan. Burhanuddin Rabbani resumes office, but the same year he is succeeded by Hamid Karzai. In 2004 a new constitution is accepted, identifying Afghanistan as an "Islamic Republic." The constitution paves the way for nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in June 2004. The government's authority beyond the capital, Kabul, is slowly growing, although its ability to deliver necessary social services remains largely dependent on funds from the international donor community.
<http://www.electionworld.org/afghanistan.htm> Afghanistan's Turbulent History
Afghanistan's descent into conflict and instability in recent times began with the overthrow of the king in 1973. Zahir Shah was in Italy for an eye operation when he was deposed in a palace coup by his cousin, Mohammad Daoud. Daoud declared Afghanistan a republic, with himself as president. He relied on the support of leftists to consolidate his power, and crushed an emerging Islamist movement. Defining Moment But towards the end of his rule, he attempted to purge his leftist supporters from positions of power and sought to reduce Soviet influence in Afghanistan. It was this that helped lead to a defining moment in Afghanistan's recent history - the communist coup in April 1978, known as the Saur, or April Revolution. President Daoud and his family were shot dead, and Nur Mohammad Taraki took power as head of the country's first Marxist government, bringing to an end more than 200 years of almost uninterrupted rule by the family of Zahir Shah and Mohammad Daoud. But the Afghan communist party, the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan - or PDPA - was divided, and splits emerged. Ruthless Leader Hafizullah Amin, who had become prime minister, was opposed to Taraki, and in October 1979 Taraki was secretly executed, with Amin becoming the new president. Amin, known for his independent and nationalist inclinations, was also ruthless. He has been accused of assassinating thousands of Afghans. To the Soviets in Moscow, he was looked upon as a threat to the prospect of an amenable communist government bordering Soviet Central Asia. In a swift chain of events in December 1979, Amin was assassinated and the Soviet Red Army swept into Afghanistan. Babrak Karmal was flown from Czechoslovakia, where he was Afghan ambassador, to take over as the new president, albeit as a puppet leader acceptable to Moscow. Million Killed The Soviet occupation, which lasted until the final withdrawal of the Red Army in 1989, was a disaster for Afghanistan. About a million Afghans lost their lives as the Red Army tried to impose control for its puppet Afghan government. Millions more fled abroad as refugees. Groups of Afghan Islamic fighters - or mujahideen - fought endlessly to try to force a Soviet retreat, with much covert support from the United States. After nearly 10 years, the Soviet Union eventually withdrew, leaving in power President Najibullah, who had replaced Karmal as leader. He hung on for three years after the Red Army's departure, but fell in 1992 as the United Nations was trying to arrange a peaceful transfer of power. The mujahideen swept victoriously into Kabul. After a short interim measure, Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani became president of the new Islamic Republic. Infighting But their victory was soon soured by infighting, as the mujahideen factions failed to agree on how to share their new power. During the Soviet occupation it was predominantly rural areas that suffered military onslaught as the Red Army tried to flush out the mujahideen. But when the mujahideen took over, it was the turn of urban areas to suffer from the conflict. This was especially true of the capital, Kabul, about half of which was literally flattened. Tens of thousands of civilians lost their lives, and the country slid more and more into a state of anarchy. It was towards the end of 1994 that the Taleban emerged in the southern city of Kandahar, heart of Afghanistan's Pashtun homeland. Their initial appeal - and success - was based on a call for the removal of the mujahideen groups. Taleban Years At first they succeeded in gaining control of Pashtun areas with little fighting. Mujahideen commanders defected to their ranks. But as their control spread to other, especially non-Pashtun, areas, the fighting intensified. The Taleban went on to control about 90% of the country. It was in 1996, as they captured Kabul, that much of the outside world first reacted in dismay to the Taleban's extreme Islamic policies, especially towards the place of women in society. As Taleban control spread, the Western world intensified pressure on the Taleban to ban the growth of opium poppies, Afghanistan being the source of most opiates reaching Europe. The United States, in particular, also began their pressure on the Taleban to give up the militant Saudi, Osama Bin Laden, whom the Taleban described as their "guest" in Afghanistan. Washington blamed Bin Laden for masterminding the suicide attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington on 11 September 2001. The following month the US and its allies began air attacks on Afghanistan which allowed the Taleban's Afghan opponents to sweep them from power. Kabul was retaken in November and by early December the Taleban had given up their stronghold of Kandahar.
Road to Elections On 5 December 2001 Afghan groups agreed a deal in Bonn for an interim government, at the head of which Pashtun royalist Hamid Karzai was then sworn in. The Bonn conference, held under UN auspices, forged a political blueprint leading to elections scheduled for summer 2004. In June 2002 a loya jirga, or grand council, elected Mr Karzai as interim head of state. A second loya jirga in January 2004 adopted a new constitution. Since coming to power the US-backed Mr Karzai has survived at least one assassination attempt, in 2002. Last month a rocket was fired at his helicopter. A number of his ministers and other senior figures have been less fortunate. Mr Karzai has been able to exert little control beyond the capital. Turf wars between local commanders have been a feature of the post-Taleban period. And the Taleban themselves have re-emerged as a fighting force, worsening the security situation in the east and southeast. Hundreds have died in clashes over the last year, and violence and threats by the Taleban and other militants opposed to elections in October contributed to landmark elections in 2004 being delayed until October.
BBC News, 8 October 2004 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1569826.stm> Country Profile: Afghanistan
Landlocked and mountainous, Afghanistan has suffered from such chronic instability and conflict during its modern history that its economy and infrastructure are in ruins, and many of its people are refugees.It is also afflicted by natural calamities such as earthquakes and drought.Overview Its strategic position sandwiched between the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent along the ancient "Silk Route" means that Afghanistan has long been fought over - despite its rugged and forbidding terrain. It was at the centre of the so-called "Great Game" in the 19th century when Imperial Russia and the British Empire in India vied for influence.
And it became a key Cold War battleground after thousands of Soviet troops intervened in 1979 to prop up a pro-communist regime, leading to a major confrontation that drew in the US and Afghanistan's neighbours. But the outside world eventually lost interest after the withdrawal of Soviet forces, while the country's protracted civil war dragged on. The emergence of the Taleban - originally a group of Islamic scholars - brought at least a measure of stability after nearly two decades of conflict. But their extreme version of Islam attracted widespread criticism. The Taleban - drawn from the Pashtun majority - were opposed by an alliance of factions drawn mainly from Afghanistan's minority communities and based in the north. In control of about 90% of Afghanistan until late 2001, the Taleban were recognised as the legitimate government by only three countries. They were at loggerheads with the international community over the presence on their soil of Osama bin Laden, accused by the US of masterminding the bombing of their embassies in Africa in 1998 and the attacks on the US on 11 September 2001. After the Taleban's refusal to hand over bin Laden, the US initiated aerial attacks in October, paving the way for opposition groups to drive them from power. Infighting between local commanders over power and territory became a feature of the post-Taleban period. The authorities in Kabul have been able to exert little control beyond the capital, and the resurgence of the Taleban as a fighting force has worsened the security situation in the east and southeast. Facts · Population: 24 million (UN, 2003) · Capital: Kabul · Area: 652,225 sq km (251,773 sq miles) · Major language: Pashto, Dari (Persian) · Major religion: Islam · Life expectancy: 43 years (men), 43 years (women) (UN) · Monetary unit: 1 Afghani = 100 puls · Main exports: Fruit and nuts, carpets, wool, opium · GNI per capita: n/a · Internet domain: .af · International dialling code: +93 Leaders Interim President: Hamid Karzai Afghanistan has an interim administration which was chosen at a Loya Jirga - or grand assembly of tribal representatives - in June 2002. Hamid Karzai, who headed the provisional administration set up when the Taleban were driven from power, was chosen at the Loya Jirga as interim head of state. He stood in the country's first direct presidential elections in October 2004. As one step on the road to democracy, the Loya Jirga adopted a new constitution in early 2004. The document envisaged a powerful presidency and defined Afghanistan as an Islamic republic, where men and women enjoy equal status before the law. Mr Karzai, a Pashtun leader from Kandahar, is an effective player on the world stage and enjoys strong backing from the US. In 2002 he persuaded international donors to pledge $4bn to help rebuild his country. · Foreign minister: Abdullah Abdullah · Interior minister: Ali Ahmad Jalali · Defence minister: Mohammad Qaseem FahimMedia In late 2001 Radio Afghanistan returned to the air in Kabul after the Taleban deserted the capital. One of the first signs of change was the music broadcast over Radio Afghanistan for the first time in five years. Days later Kabul TV was back on the air, with a woman presenting the news. Afghanistan's newly-invigorated press enjoys considerable freedom of expression, although print runs are small. There is a small band of private radio and TV stations. A media law passed in 2004 bans criticism of Islam and other religions. Relays of foreign radio stations or stations funded from overseas are on the air in Kabul, including the BBC, Radio France Internationale, the German-run Voice of Freedom, US-funded broadcasts from Radio Free Afghanistan and the Voice of America, and Radio Azadi run by the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf). BBC World Service is also available on FM in Mazar-e-Sharif. Afghanistan's media were seriously restricted under Taleban rule. Radio Afghanistan was renamed Radio Voice of Shariah and reflected the Islamic fundamentalist values of the Taleban. TV was seen as a source of moral corruption and was banned. Press
Radio
· Azad Afghan Radio - private, Kandahar Television
News Agencies
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1162668.stm>
Chapter Three of the Constitution of Afghanistan 2004
The President Article Sixty Ch. 3, Art. 1 The President is the head of the state of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and conducts his authorities in executive, legislative, and judiciary branches in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution. The President is responsible to the nation. The President shall have one Vice President. The President on his candidacy shall declare the name of the Vice President to the nation. The Vice President in the absence, resignation, and or death of the President, acts in accordance with the provisions of this constitution. Article Sixty‑One Ch. 3, Art. 2 The President is elected by receiving more than 50% of the votes cast through free, general, secret, and direct voting. The presidential term is expired at the first of (Jawza) of the fifth year after the elections. Elections for the new president are held within thirty to sixty days before the end of the presidential term. If none of the candidates succeeds to receive more than 50% of the votes in the first round, a run‑off election shall be held within two weeks. In this round, only two candidates with the highest number of votes will participate. In the run‑off, the candidate who gets the majority of the votes shall be elected as the President. In case of death of one of the candidates before the first or second round, or prior to the announcement of the results of elections, new elections shall be held in accordance with the provisions of law. The elections for the post of president shall be held under the supervision of the Independent Commission supervising of the Elections. This commission shall be established to supervise all kinds of elections and referendums in the country, in accordance with the provisions of law. Article Sixty‑Two Ch. 3, Art. 3 Presidential candidates should posses the following qualifications: 1. Should be citizen of Afghanistan, Muslim and born of Afghan parents, and should not have citizenship of another country. 2. On the day of becoming a candidate, his age should not be less than forty years. 3. Should not have been convicted of crimes against humanity, criminal act, or deprivation of the civil rights by a court. No one can be elected as president for more than two terms. The provision of this article is applied to the Vice President as well. Article Sixty‑Three Ch. 3, Art. 4 The President‑elect, prior to resumption of his/her duties, performs the following oath of allegiance in the presence of members of the National Assembly and the chief justice: "In the name Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate In the name Allah Almighty, in the presence of you representatives of the nation of Afghanistan, I swear to obey and safeguard the provisions of the sacred religion of Islam, to observe the Constitution and other laws of Afghanistan and supervise their implementation; to safeguard the independence, national sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and the fundamental rights and interests of the people of Afghanistan, and with the assistance of God and the support of the nation, to make great and sincere efforts for the happiness and progress of the people of Afghanistan." Article Sixty‑Four Ch. 3, Art. 5 The power and duties of the President are as follows: 1- Supervising the implementation of the Constitution. 2- Determining the fundamental policies of the state. 3- Being the Command‑in‑Chief of the armed forces of Afghanistan. 4- Declaration of war and ceasefire with the approval of the National Assembly. 5- Taking the required decision during defending of territorial integrity and protecting of the independence. 6- Sending contingents of the armed forces to foreign countries with the approval of the National Assembly. 7- Convening Loya Jirga [Grand Council of Afghan Elders] except in a situation stated in Article Sixty‑eight this Constitution. 8- Declaring the state of emergency and ending it with the approval of the National Assembly. 9- Inaugurating the National Assembly and the Loya Jirga. 10- Accepting resignation of the Vice President. 11- Appointing of Ministers and the Attorney General with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga, and acceptance of their dismissal and resignation. 12- Appointing the head and members of the Supreme Court with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga. 13- Appointment, retirement and acceptance of resignation and dismissal of judges, officers of the armed forces, police, national security, and high‑ranking officials in accordance with the law. 14- Appointment of heads of diplomatic missions of Afghanistan in foreign countries and international organizations. 15- Accepting the credentials of diplomatic missions in Afghanistan. 16- Signing of laws and legislative decrees. 17- Issuing credential letter for the conclusion of bi‑lateral and international treaties in accordance with the provisions of law. 18- Reducing and pardoning penalties in accordance with law. 19- Issuing medals, and honorary titles in accordance with the provision of law. 20- Appointment of the Governor of De Afghanistan Central Bank with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga. 21‑ The establishment of commissions for the improvement of the administrative condition of the country, in accordance with law. 22‑ Exercising other authorities in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution. Article Sixty‑Five Ch. 3, Art. 6 The President can call for a referendum on important national, political, social or economic issues. Call for referendum shall not be contrary to the provisions of this constitution or for the amendment of it. Article Sixty‑Six Ch. 3, Art. 7 The President takes into consideration the supreme interests of the people of Afghanistan while enforcing the powers stated in this Constitution. The President cannot sell or bestow state properties without the provisions of the law. The President cannot act based on linguistic, ethnic, religious, political, and regional considerations during his term in office. Article Sixty‑Seven Ch. 3, Art. 8 In case of resignation, impeachment ,or death of the President, or of a serious illness that could hinder the performance of duties, the Vice President undertakes his duties and authorities. The President declares his resignation personally to the National Assembly. The serious illness shall be proved by an authorized medical committee appointed by the Supreme Court. In this case, election for the new President shall be held within the period of three months in accordance with the article 61 of this constitution. During the time when the Vice President fills in as the interim President, he cannot perform the following: 1. Amendment of the constitution 2. Dismissal of ministers. 3. Call for a referendum. During this period the Vice President can nominate himself as a candidate for the post of President in accordance with the provisions of this constitution. In the absence of the President, the duties of the Vice President shall be determined by the President. Article Sixty‑Eight Ch. 3, Art. 9 In case of resignation and or death of the Vice President, another person shall replace him by the proposal of the President and approval of the Wolesi Jirga [House of the People]. In case of simultaneously death of the President and Vice President, his duties shall be implemented by the Chair of the Meshrano Jirga [House of Elders] and in the absence of the chair of the Meshrano Jirga, Chair of the Wolesi Jirga, and in the absence of the Chair of the Wolesi Jirga, the Foreign Minister shall take the duties of the President in accordance with the article 67 of this constitution. Article Sixty‑Nine Ch. 3, Art 10 Accusations of crime against humanity, national treason or crime can be leveled against the President by one third of the members of the Wolesi Jirga. If two third of the Wolesi Jirga votes for charges to be brought forth, the Wolesi jirga shall convene a Loya Jirga within one month. If the Loya Jirga approve the accusation by a two‑thirds majority of votes the President is then dismissed, and the case is referred to a special court. The special court is composed of three members of the Wolesi Jirga, and three members of the Supreme Court appointed by the Loya Jirga and the Chair of the Meshrano Jirga. The lawsuit is conducted by a person appointed by the Loya Jirga. In this situation, the provisions of Article 67 of this Constitution are applied. Article Seventy Ch. 3, Art. 11 The salary and expenditures of the President are regulated by law. After expiration of his term, the President is entitled to financial benefits of the presidency for the rest of his life in accordance with the law except in the case of dismissal.
<http://www.ipripak.org/factfiles/ff48.shtml>
Government
The shape of Afghanistan's new and democratic government was set out in the constitution aproved in January by Afghan elders and local dignitaries The constitution designates Afghanistan as an Islamic republic where men and women have equal rights and duties before the law. It envisages a powerful presidency and two vice-presidents to replace the interim government led by Hamid Karzai. (The presidential ballot took place on 9 October - the votes have yet to be counted.) Afghanistan will also have a bicameral national assembly - direct elections for its House of the People are due in 2005 - and an independent judiciary. A law passed in 2003 bans political parties from having links to military groups and receiving funds from foreign sources.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/afghanistan_elections/html/7.stm> People
Mountainous and landlocked, Afghanistan has so far failed to coalesce into a nation due to the many contending ethnic, religious and regional rivalries. Years of conflict and population movement make any ethnic count - and the collection of data in general - difficult even now, almost three years after the US-led military offensive in Afghanistan. But recent estimates suggest the Pashtuns comprise nearly half of the population. The Tajiks, descended from the Persians, form the second largest group, followed by Uzbeks and Hazaras. About 99% of Afghans are Muslim - about three-quarters of them Sunni.
Education
Afghanistan has seen a massive increase in school enrolment since the fall of the Taleban in 2001, partly due to the fact that girls are no longer banned from education. An estimated three million children now attend some form of learning, most of them at the primary level. Although girls comprise less than half of the school population, that figure represents a huge increase even compared to the years before the Taleban restrictions. However, the huge success of the Back-to-School campaign has placed pressure on the educational system which faces a shortage of qualified teachers and classroom supplies.
Economy
More than two decades of fighting and political instability have left Afghanistan in ruins and dependent on foreign aid. Although its economy is recovering, Afghanistan is still one of the poorest countries in the world, according to the World Bank. The fact that up to 90% of its economy is informal means the government cannot collect revenue hindering development. The opium trade is an important part of this informal sector and is estimated to represent about one third of Afghanistan's total economic activity. International organisations have warned that this booming drugs trade, added to the weak rule of law and insecurity make the challenge of poverty reduction even more difficult.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/afghanistan_elections/html/6.stm>
Interview by Federal Foreign Minister Fischer on the
Question: ... Mr Minister, next week Berlin will become the stage for another international Conference on Afghanistan. Are you content with the progress made so far on the reconstruction of the country? Answer: It is a question of perspective. If we look back, we can see that much has been achieved. If we look forward, we can see that many problems remain unresolved. There are areas of stability where normal life has been resumed. Millions of refugees have returned. But there are also zones in the south and east of the country where there are still high security risks. The balance between the various groups in Afghanistan is more or less viable. The constitutional Loya Jirga has been a great success. Progress has been made on reconstruction, but nevertheless, if we look at the drugs situation and the need for further international commitment to reconstruction, much remains to be done. Any view of the situation is a view of a work in progress. We must remain fully committed, and that is one of the main tasks of this new conference – for the international community just as it is for the Afghans. For with the elections later this year we reach the end of the Bonn Process. Our commitment must however endure beyond that time. Many industrialized countries have pledged billions for Afghanistan, but only a fraction of the money has been forthcoming. Karzai's Government has repeatedly warned that the situation on the ground cannot be maintained without these funds. How do you intend to make the defaulting debtors pay? Germany has fulfilled its pledges and will add further pledges, as will others, of that I am sure – we will see to it. That too is another result of dovetailing the Tokyo donor conference, where these pledges were made, with the Bonn process. It is very, very important for everyone to understand that we do not just have to fulfil our promises, but also redouble our efforts. I think that the largest donors are called upon to act. We will not rest until this has been done. For indeed, economic progress, the development of an infrastructure – of schools, of a health system, of economic prospects – are decisive factors, not just for the future of Afghanistan but also in the fight against national and international terrorism. Germany is already very much involved in the Hindu Kush, and now there is this Conference, too. Are we some kind of "protector" for the Afghans? No. We have focused on the area, that is true, and we intend to continue to do so. But the term "protector" I must reject. We must not overrate our national contribution, as much as the domestic discourse may tempt us to do so. The reality on the ground is quite different. Germany's contribution is embedded in the overall multinational effort. All partners play a great role. Germany has in many respects become a key player in Afghanistan, but we have to remember that it is a player in an international effort. However, the fact that we are making our contribution from a lead position is very, very important and also increases respect for Germany around the world. With worrying regularity, the situation reports from the Federal Foreign Office state that the security situation is and remains precarious. Shouldn't the International Security Assistance Force be strengthened? Shouldn't more islands of stability be created? I think that our position is really quite good now. By "us", I mean the international community. We must, if possible, strengthen this process. I hear many European partners say that they are willing to participate in the Reconstruction Teams. These teams ought to be multinational from the start, that's what we are trying to do in Kunduz. This is progress that is really being made. And the electoral process, the presidential elections and thereafter the parliamentary elections, will of course create additional legitimacy. Let me take a look back. It's no secret that we all – myself included – were somewhat sceptical of whether we could really implement the process that we launched at the Bonn Conference. The mere fact that we are here today, that a constitution has been adopted, that, given the circumstances in Afghanistan, it is a well balanced and very good constitution, that consensus, however fragile at times, exists among the Afghans and that we are genuinely moving towards elections, these are all things that, if I am honest, I was not sure would be possible. On the other hand, there is still much to be done, the process remains fragile. Your words lead me to suspect that you would indeed like to see more Provincial Reconstruction Teams ... That is a question for the commanders on the ground, a question of evaluation. As you know, our partners were initially highly sceptical of our approach, which combines civilian and military elements, and which thus puts reconstruction to the fore. This approach has since been adopted by the others. NATO, too, has adopted it. There will be further teams. You just mentioned the warlords, the provincial rulers, who do not recognize the authority of the central Government, who maintain their own militias and frequently finance their operations with drugs money. Afghanistan has again become the world's biggest producer of opium. Shouldn't the international community do more to tackle this problem? Yes. Step by step. The world was not created in a day, and our experience of the Balkans and Afghanistan and elsewhere, and likewise our experience of post-war Europe, shows that these processes take time. Priorities must be set. The security situation has to be our top priority. But, without a doubt, progress is being made as regards the integration of the provinces, significantly more than only a few months ago. The difficult task of integrating the various provincial rulers into the common cause is being performed with great skill by Hamid Karzai. With the support of the provinces and the international community, we will have to turn our attention to the drugs problem. A lot of police work, but not just that, will be called for. We are very much involved in training the police in Afghanistan, but here too we have to look at economic alternatives. By that we mean genuine economic alternatives that have to be developed. This means that reconstruction, the economic process, must kick in, and then alternatives must be offered in the rural regions in conjunction with measures to repress the drug trade. But the international community is fully aware of this. This will surely be one of the focuses of the Conference. Afghanistan is only part, albeit a key part of this arc of crisis, which stretches from Pakistan to North Africa and thus to the borders of Europe. What can German foreign policy offer to help calm this unsettled region as a whole? A lot, within the European Union and together with our transatlantic partners, the United States and Canada. In my view, the fight against terrorism is also a struggle to stabilize destabilized states and destabilized social structures. That is what we are doing in Afghanistan. We are doing it by contributing to security as well as through reconstruction, institutional assistance in rebuilding the police, schools and the education system, but of course also by making a financial contribution. And I think that this is a general strategy. This means that the approach to transition should ensure that these societies can develop in a positive direction, and for this we can help create the necessary conditions. That is our real challenge, and it will take a long time to tackle. I think that we have to think in terms of decades rather than years. Thank you. 27 March 2004
<http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/en/laenderinfos/laender/laender_ausgabe_archiv?land_id=1&a_
Afghanistan Political Parties The political parties, as vanguard of societies, are playing an important role in every society. Their positive activities will strengthen the newly established democracy in Afghanistan. It is my job to help the Afghanistan political parties experience democracy in action. It is my Unit mandate to provide/issue on behalf of the Joint Electoral Management Body(JEMB) to the political parties "Certificate of Accreditation". This certificate allow the political parties to directly participate and closely monitor the "voter registration process" and later on the elections. Political parties are representing different strata and groups of the Afghan society. Their participation and direct involvement in the voter's registration and elections increase the transparency of the process, enhance assurance of people of the righteousness of the process and as result consolidate its legitimacy. My office provide and explain to the political parties decrees, regulations and procedures that governs the process of registration and elections. We have also provided and explained the "Code of Conduct".These documents and information assist political parties to know more about the process and regarding their rights and obligation towards the voter's registration and elections. As of today 11/07/04 the number of Afghanistan political parties that applied for registration, have reached to sixty (a complete list is attached). Twenty four of them have been approved by the Ministry of Justice and have been issued license. Those pending are divided in to two categories. 1) Pending completion of documentation, and, 2) Those awaiting clearance by the other Afghan agencies, such as, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense and Department of National Security. Among the applicants six of them are "Jehadi parties" and have been around for many years and are a) Afghanistan Islamic Association, b) Afghanistan National Front, c) Afghanistan People Islamic Movement, d) Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, e) Hezb-e-Wahdat Islami Afghanistan, f) Hezb-e-Wahdat Merdum Islami Afghanistan, g) Jabha-i-Nejat Milli Afghanistan, h) Jabh-i-Nejt Milli Afghanistan, i) Hezb-e- Daawat Islami Afghanistan, j) Harakat-e- Inqelab Islami WA Milli Afghanistan, and k) Hezb-e-Wahdat Islami Afghanistan. The leader of Islamic Association Party, Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani became president of Afghanistan in 1992. Others have shared power, on and off, with Afghan governments, since then. Some of the members of these parties are currently holding high posts in the current Afghan government as well. Some newly established parties while not part of the original jehadi parties, but seems to have religious orientation. Hezb-e-Milli Wahdat Aqwam Islami Afghanistan, De Afghanistan De Milli Mubarezino Islami Gund, Hezb-e Islami Tamadun Afghanistan, Jamaat Al Daawa Ela Quraan walsana of Afghanistan and Hezbe Solh Milli Islami Aqwam Afghanistan, Hezb-e- Adalat Islami. In addition to the above parties it seems three more newly parties are having religious orientation. Junbish Mili Islami Samt-e-Shamal "Junbish" yet to apply (Just applied). "Junbish", is not among "Jehadi" parties, but, has significant influence in the "North". Among the twenty four parties approved, three are "jehadi" parties "Mahaz Milli" or National Front, Hezb-e-Hrakat-e-Islami Afghanistan, and Hezb-e Harakat Islami Murdom Afghanistan. One of the new parties is headed by Mr. Sayed Ishaq Gailani, nephew of Mr. Sayed Ahmed Gailani, Pir Gailani a renowned religious family. The remaining newly emerging parties and those who have been around are having different orientation and backgrounds. From the rank of emerging parties, founders of four parties are former key members of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), later Hezb-e-Watan. 1) Abdul Rashid Jalili, Afghanistan National Unity Party. He was not part of leadership after 1980. 2) Shah Nawaz Tanai Afghanistan Peace Movement Party. Former Minister of Defense of Afghanistan. 3) Abdul Rashid Arian, Afghanistan National Party, a former high ranking official and member of cabinet and 4) Abdul Haq Ulumi National Unity Party, former Chief of Zone of Andhra and a general. Two of these parties' No. 1 and No. 3 have been approved by the MoJ and have been issued license. The PDPA was in power from 1978 to 1992. According to some information Latif Pedram, the leader of the National Congress also at one time was a member of the PDPA or parties affiliated with the PDPA. This information has not been confirmed/mentioned in his biography, issued by his party. One of the other political parties "Afghan Millat" or Afghan Nation, a social democratic party, has been active at various levels in Afghanistan politics for over three decades. But, was not part of any Afghan government. Hezb-e -Islami Tamadun Afghanistan is founded by a group of Afghan religious scholars and Taliban. One of the founders of the party has stated that if his party win in upcoming elections and form a government, they will not follow the harsh brand that previous Taliban government was practicing. Fifteen members of Hezb-e-Islami, which claim they are members of executive council of the party, announced that they are ready to participate in the upcoming elections and expressed their support for the efforts of the government of Mr. Kerzai in bringing stability and peace to the nation. Most of the emerging parties, including those mentioned above, are claiming that their objectives are strengthening democracy, rule of law, and ending culture of violence, as well as, struggle towards bringing stability and lasting peace to Afghanistan. The process of application of newly formed political parties for registration is an ongoing process. We hope that the MoJ register more parties in the future. I will try to provide more/detailed information regarding new applicants as well as those are approved by the MoJ. Note: The leaders of the Parties that are listed below are well known and there are tons of information about them and/or about there parties. 1) Afghanistan Islamic Association, Burhanuddin Rabani, President of Afgh. 1992- 2001. 2) Agha. National Front, Pir Sayed Ahmad Gailani, a prominent religious family. 3) Afgha. Islamic Movement, Sheikh M.Asif Muhseni. 4) The Islamic Movement of the People of Afgha. Sayed Hussain Anwary. 5) Hezb-e- Wahdat Murdom Islami Afgha., Haji M. Muhaqeq, former minister of palnning. 6) Hezb-e-Wahdat Islami Afgha. M. Karim, Khalili,Vice President of Afghanistan. 7) Addul Rashid Jalili, National Unit Party, former minister of education 04/1978-01/1980. (PDPA). Khalq faction. 8) Shahnawaz Tani, Afghanistan Peace Movement party, former chief of staff and minister of defense, under Dr. Nadjibullah. Organized a failed coup against Dr. Nadjibullah, 1990. Since then living in Pakistan. (PDAP), Khalq faction. 9) Abdul Rashid Arian, National Party, former cabinet member. (PDPA), later Watan Party. Khalq faction 10) Abdul Haq Ulomi, former general and chief of zone of Kandhar. (PDPA) later Watan Party. Percham faction. To know more about their background, previous policies and orientation, we have to inform ourselves about, jehadi parties policies as well as PDPA and Watan party policies and history. There are thousands of article and hundreds of books available on these matters. Today, based on their bylaws, all are expressing support for democracy, pluralism and rule of law. The jihadi parties support all stated above with strong emphasis on religion. The newly religious oriented parties are following the jehadi parties. The last four with many other new parties, while placing decent importance to the religion, are supporting a more secular system of government.
Enayatullah Nabielh,
Political Parties Liaison Officer PARTIES AND PARTY LEADERS
<http://www.gorbat.org/plead/policalp.html>
JEMB Announces 9 October For Presidential Elections Reginald Austin - Chief Technical Advisor to the JEMB Dear Colleagues, The JEMB's decisions on the mode and timing of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections have been long awaited. They have come after a considerable process of consultation and discussion, which the JEMB has undertaken with a wide range of stakeholders, both national and international. We now know that the Presidential election will be held on the 9th October. This means that if there must be a Run Off election it will take place after Ramazan in November. Given the many and widely varied political interests of the Afghan leaders and groups, it is likely that the JEMB's decision will not be universally popular. Thus we, who have the duty to implement the decisions, should note the care with which the JEMB has explained why it reached these momentous decisions, to meet the onorous duty the Election Law has imposed upon it. Your work, with your Afghan colleagues, has achieved a voter registration goal which many regarded, until very recently, as impossible. The service you have created for the urban and rural population has enabled a massive section of the ordinary Afghan People, for the first time in this Transitional process, to show that they approve of and wish to participate in this historic democratic experiment. This task has taken patience, skill, constant hard work, considerable courage and real sacrifice to achieve. The millions of registered voters are thus, not only a powerful message to us all to stick to the task, but to both the Afghan and international leadership to adhere to their promises to allow and support this effort to bring electoral democracy, peace and prosperity to Afghanistan. We now face an increasingly tough period. The time to October is short, but sufficient. The opponents of the process now have a specific challenge and will seek to sap the morale and determination of the voters and of our teams during the preparations for the election, something which they failed to do during registration. We must trust that the international support for the process, whether in funds or in security will not wane. You have laid a solid foundation for the election and shown the capacity, as a multinational and national electoral service, to meet an enormous challenge. You can certainly bring this stage to a successful conclusion with the continued support of the people and the solidarity of the leaders who have mandated us to do this task. Beyond November 2004, we now have the opportunity many have longed for : the time to prepare more thoroughly, all the essential elements of a credible Parliamentary election. The JEMB's decision to postpone these to the Spring, (probably April) of 2005, was a courageous one on their part, given the enormous expectations and pressures which had been invested in a simultaneous poll and a neat "wind-up" to the Transition in 2004. Instead they have taken the view that a credible parliamentary election, so much more complex, intense and competitive than the Presidential poll, would need time. This time is necessary to provide more serious attention to disarmament, to the improvement political freedoms, to political party formation and organization, to civic and voter education and to the creation of a context which gives enhanced legitimacy to the elected institution. We, with the Afghan State, People and international community now have been granted a much improved chance to work to ensure those tasks are undertaken. This time is critically important and we can best complement the JEMB's determination by making full use of every minute that its decisions have granted us. Thus, this Update comes at an historic moment in this mission. I am delighted to be able to pay tribute to you all for making this moment possible. I look forward to working with you all in the exciting months ahead.
Reg. Austin On RegistrationTo be able to vote for the Presidential elections, Afghan citizens in Afghanistan and Pakistan had to register and receive their Voter Registration Card. They will have to produce it on Election Day to be allowed to vote. What was the timeline for voter registration? Voter registration began on December 1st, 2003, and ended nine months later on August 20th in Afghanistan. Where did registration take place? In a first phase, starting on December 1st, 2003, it began in the main urban centers of Kabul, Kandahar, Heart, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz, Jalalabad, Bamiyan and Gardez. In a second phase, 9,200 teams employing approximately 36,800 staff members conducted the registration in over 5,000 sites across Afghanistan. In a third phase, registration of Afghan citizens living in Pakistan took place from the 1st to the 4th of October 2004 in approximately 1,900 registration sites in nearly 300 locations in Pakistan. Could Afghans living abroad register for the elections? Afghans living in Pakistan and Iran can participate in the Presidential elections. But only Afghans living in Pakistan, who had arrived there as refugees after 1979, had to register prior to the elections. Why has the JEMB registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, but not in Iran? Iran has already developed a civil registry system for the Afghan refugees. Therefore, those living in Iran use the Amayesh ID card as their voting card. There was no need for registration. When was registration completed? Registration officially came to a close on the 15th of August in Afghanistan. However a few sites remained open until the 20th of August where security concerns had caused initial delays in the opening of the registration sites. Registration for Afghan citizens in Pakistan took place from the 1st to the 4th of October 2004. How many Afghan citizens did register? In Afghanistan, a total of 10,567,834 persons registered to vote, of which 4,359,651 or 41.3% were female registrants. In Pakistan, an approximate total of 740,000 voters registered, of which 27% were female registrants. What about multiple registrations? It is a violation of the “Regulation on Offences during Voter Registration”, issued by the Joint Electoral Management Body, to hold more than one registration card at a time and perpetrators may face fines and/ or imprisonment. Cases of multiple registrations were reported, but it is impossible to evaluate how many such cases took place. During voting, the Inking process (see fact sheet on Voting) is meant to ensure that voters can only vote once, even in case of multiple registration. What were the requirements for registration? According to the law, the legal age to register was 18 years and older by September 25, 2004 to register and vote. If the Registration Officer suspected that the person did not meet the minimum qualification age, he or she could refuse registration. What were the procedures for identification at the registration sites? It was preferable if a person had identification documents to present them to the Registration Officer. If the person did not have documents, the Registration Officer would inquire about the person’s background, family, place of birth, etc… If refused registration, was one given the opportunity to appeal the decision? If the Registration Officer did not consider that the person qualified, registration was refused. However, once refused, a person was given the opportunity to appeal the decision. The person was asked to fill out a form and provide two witnesses who had already registered to vouch for him or her in front of the Hearing Officer and /or bring any official documents to prove eligibility. The Hearing Officer was the Field Coordinator in charge of that registration site. If the person was unable to provide 2 witnesses and /or official identification documents, the Hearing Officer was not be able to confirm the applicant’s eligibility and therefore he/she was not allowed to register. During voting, is the voters’ registration checked against the registration list? For the presidential election, the registration list will not be used as every voter is authorized to vote where he/she wants. However, in the polling station, the identification and inking officer will note the names and address of each voter. <http://www.afg-electionresults.org/english/english.htm> On VotingVoting will take place in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan on a single day, Saturday, October 9, 2004, from 7am to 4pm. However any voter in the queue at 4pm will be allowed to vote. Data on polling locations and staff- 4807 polling centres will open across the country on polling day - Each polling centre has on average 4 or 5 polling stations - Polling stations will serve on average 400 to 500 voters, though they have capacity for 700 voters - Around 120,000 polling staff will be employed Data on polling materials and logistics- 25,000 ballot boxes - 17.5 million ballot papers in-country (Afghanistan) - 4 million ballot papers in Pakistan and Iran - 25,000 polling kits - 170 containers (which come and go) each container carrying up to 8 tons of material - 110 trucks (rented) - 2 airplanes, carrying up to 150 tons each - 4 Mi8 helicopters - 6100 Thuraya phones - An unknown number of donkeys Will the polling period be extended due to special circumstances?It is not the intention to extend polling. Article 59 of the Electoral Law outlines the circumstances in which the JEMB may suspend or postpone polling. Where will polling take place and where can a voter vote? Polling will take place at the polling station. There are separate polling stations for men and women. For the Presidential elections, any voter can vote in any polling station regardless of the voter’s place of registration or residence. How will the voter turnout be acquired?The number of unused and spoiled ballots will be subtracted from the number of received ballots. What will be the layout of the Polling Station?The polling station will be arranged for a circular flow of voters from the entrance to Identification and Inking Officer, to the Ballot Issuer, to the Voting Screen, to the Ballot Box and exit. Who conducts polling?Polling is conducted by the Polling Station Officials. Polling Station Officials are Polling Station Chairperson, Queue Controller, Identification and Inking Officer, Ballot Paper Issuer, and Ballot Box Controller. The Polling Station Supervisor supervises the polling staff. Who else will be authorized to be in the Polling Stations?Apart form Polling Officials and persons coming to vote, the following individuals will be authorized to be in the Polling Stations on Polling Day: members and officers of the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB), special guests of the JEMB, no more than two Observers from each Observer Organization accredited by JEMB, one Candidate Agent representing each candidate, and one Journalist (who can be accompanied by the photographer or operator) from each Media organization. They all have to wear their identification badges. What are the actual polling steps? According to polling procedures, there are five polling steps at the polling station: 1- Queue controller will be controlling a queue of voters outside the polling station. The Controller will ask for the Voter Registration Card, will inspect if the Card is punched and if the finger is inked. Disabled will be offered assistance to mark the ballots. 2- Identification and Inking Officer will be identifying and inking the voters. This Officer will check the Voter Registration Card’s serial number and the picture. The same official will check the left thumb of the voter and mark the cuticle with indelible ink. The official will then record the serial number of the Voter Registration Card and punch the Card. The voter is then directed to the Ballot Issuer. 3- The Ballot Paper Issuer will make sure the finger of the voter is inked and the Voter Registration Card is punched. If the Card is not punched, the Ballot Paper Issuer will send the voter to Identification and Inking Officer to punch the Card. The Issuer of the Ballot Paper will stamp the ballot paper and hand it to the voter with an impartial advice about marking and folding it. The voter is then directed to one of the two Voting Screens (polling booths). 4- Inside the polling booth, the voter will use a permanent marker to mark the ballot paper, in the box near the photo or the symbol of the candidate of his/her choice. The voter will then fold the ballot paper so that it is impossible to see which candidate was marked. The voter then leaves the Screen to drop the Ballot in the Ballot Box. 5- Ballot Box Controller will be controlling the depositing of ballot into the ballot box. The Controller will admit only one voter to the ballot box area at a time. The controller will make sure the voter has only one ballot paper in hand and the ballot is stamped. If the ballot is not stamped, this official will direct the voter to the Ballot Issuer to stamp the ballot. The voter will then be directed to deposit ballot in the ballot box, following which the voter will leave the polling premises. How can illiterate people take part in the election? The candidate will have their photo and their symbol on the ballot. The civic education campaign has used mock-ballot papers as well as real ballot paper posters to familiarize the illiterate voters to the marking of the ballot. Illiterate people will make their choice by placing a mark next to the picture of their chosen candidate. The Issuer of the Ballot Paper will also remind the voter of the process by giving an impartial advice about marking and folding it. How will voter’s secrecy be protected? According to the 2nd article of the electoral law, the JEMB has the responsibility to adopt necessary decisions to conduct a free, secret and direct election in a free, secure, and safe environment. The voting procedure to ensure secrecy is as follows. The voter goes alone in the polling booth to indicate his/her choice on the ballot paper, folds the ballot so that nobody can see how it’s marked, and puts it in the polling box. The visually impaired and disabled who cannot mark the ballot themselves can be assisted. All other voters will go by themselves behind the voting screen to mark and fold their ballot. Can Afghan refugees from any country vote in this election?The JEMB only has capacity for out of country polling in Iran and Pakistan. The JEMB has done an unprecedented job of registering Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Just by taking a look at time constraints, it is quite an accomplishment that so many are registered. Can people vote without receiving indelible ink on their finger? There is a concern that Taliban and other opposing militant forces will see the ink and terrorize voters. The indelible inking of the voter is required to show that they have cast their vote. Inking is one of the measures in place to prevent multiple voting. Nobody will be allowed to vote if he/she refuses to be inked. Why did the JEMB wait until the last minute to train their polling staff members? Our training works on a cascade model. People are trained from HQ, to region, to province and so forth. The only staffs that received training at the last minute are those at the end of the cascade who work at the polling sites. If we trained them 2 weeks before, the information would not be fresh in their minds. Also, there is a possibility that staff could turnover after the training, so doing this closer to Election Day was necessary. <http://www.afg-electionresults.org/english/english.htm> On CountingWhere will Counting take place and who will conduct the process? There will be several Counting Centres established in each Regional Capital depending on the number of Provinces which comprise the Region, where the Counting will be conducted to record the votes cast for the Presidential election in that Province. Each Counting Centre will be supervised by an International Counting Centre Manager (CCM) who will be responsible for the Centre, while the International and National electoral staff stationed at the Regional Capital will form the Counting Team. In addition, a National Provincial Field Coordinator will also be present at the Counting Centre, established for that province, at the Regional Capital. Will the counting be manual or machine conducted? The counting will all be done by hand. This process will be used so that the present observers can literally see (ballot paper to ballot paper) that the counters are using the correct procedure. What happens if a ballot box with a broken seal arrives to a counting center? The ballot number of the box will be quarantined and reconciled with the general return record (see What are the stages of the Counting process?). If the numbers don’t match, the box will again be quarantined and area managers will decide on the process from there. Will Afghans or internationals count the ballots? JEMB staff will count the ballots, which includes Afghans and internationals. What are the stages of the Counting process? The five (5) main stages of the Counting process are: Checking-in, Reconciliation, Mixing ballot papers, Sorting and Counting the votes, and Reporting of results. 1. ‘Checking-in’ is the first stage of the Count during which all sensitive materials from the Polling Centres are returned to the Counting Centre by the Polling Centre Supervisors, and moved to a secure storage area. They are kept in secure storage until needed for the next process. Sensitive materials include used ballot boxes and Tamper Evident Bags (TEBs). All other materials are considered non-sensitive, as they are not needed for the Count (and will remain in a designated area in the provincial capital). The ballot boxes containing the Out-of-Country Votes will be brought to a designated Counting Centre in Kabul. 2. ‘Reconciliation’ is the second stage of the Count during which the ballots from each ballot box (i.e., from each Polling Station) are counted to ensure that they tally with the number of ballots recorded in the ‘Polling Centre General Return’. 3. ‘Mixing’ is the third stage during which all ballots in the Province are evenly distributed into batches (i.e., 10 ‘Reconciled’ ballot boxes constitute a batch) per province. This ensures that the way people voted from a particular Polling Centre cannot be known. 4. ‘Sorting and Counting’ is the fourth stage of the count during which the ballot papers are sorted per Candidate, and the total votes for each Candidate counted and recorded. 5. The fifth stage is ‘Reporting’ the results to the National Tally Room. What if the number of ballots in each ballot box does not tally with the number of ballots recorded as having been handed out to voters in that specific Polling Station? There will have to be a recount. If after the recount, there is still a discrepancy but within a 2% margin, it is not considered significant enough to investigate further. If the discrepancy is more than 2% after a recount, the Counting Centre Manager must investigate. If there is no straightforward explanation for the discrepancy, the Counting Centre Manager will report the facts to the Regional Coordinator who will inform JEMB HQ. The ballot papers will be returned to the ballot box, the box will be resealed and the new seal numbers will be recorded. The box will be returned to the “Quarantine station” until new instructions are issued by the JEMB. What is the ‘Mixing’ stage and why are the Ballot papers mixed? The mixing stage must begin even before the reconciliation of all ballot boxes from a Province is completed. Ballots boxes from each Province, placed in the Secure Storage Area, are randomly picked and mixed together. The mixing stage is carried out so that it is not possible to know how votes were cast in a particular Polling Centre. During the mixing, the ballots (still in bundles of 100) are grouped into batches (i.e., 10 ‘Reconciled’ ballot boxes containing several bundles of 100 ballot papers). This is carried out in such a way that the ballots for each Polling Station will be evenly distributed among each of the batches. Thus, no Polling Station or Centre is traceable. What will the ‘Sorting and Counting’ stage look like? The ballots will be sorted into a separate pile for each candidate, and then counted into bundles of 100 (as for reconciliation). Ballots will be sorted and counted in batches per province. A single, separate pile for ‘doubtful’ ballots will be made during this stage. When are ballot papers valid and when are they not valid? Ballot papers are valid if the voter’s intention is clear. Ballot papers are not valid if: - There is no official validating stamp on the back of the ballot paper; - There are two or more marks for different candidates on the ballot paper; - There is no mark of any description on the ballot paper; - All the candidates’ names have been crossed out; - A mark on the ballot paper does not indicate clearly for which candidate it is intended; - There is a writing or mark on the ballot paper by which the voter can be identified; - The Ballot Paper is not in the official format. Who may be present in a Counting Centre? Only the following people may be present in a Counting Centre: - Counting Officials; - JEMB members and staff; - Candidate; - Accredited Party and Independent Candidate Agents – There shall be no more than four Agents of a Political Party or Independent Candidate present in a Counting Centre at the same time; - Domestic and International Electoral Observers- Only two (2) Observers from each accredited Observer Organizations are allowed to be in the Counting Centre at the same time; - Police – Police Officers will generally station themselves near, but not, in the Counting Centre unless their presence is needed inside; - Accredited special guests of the JEMB (e.g., the SRSG and his entourage, foreign Ambassadors, etc.); - Accredited members of the media – the Counting Centre Manager has the discretion to regulate journalists so that the count is not disrupted. Journalists may film the handling of ballot papers but will not be allowed to conduct interviews inside the counting room, except with the Counting Centre Manager. What is the importance of Agents and Observers during the Counting process? Transparency is vital to the counting process. Agents and Observers are important in ensuring transparency. They will be able to clearly see everything that takes place from the time the ballot boxes leave the Polling Centre until the end of the Counting process. Agents and Observers must be kept informed about ALL STAGES of the process. Also, if any problems occur, Agents and Observers will be informed of what the problem is, and what steps are taken to solve it. To preserve the integrity of the counting process, the method of handling a breach in procedure will be witnessed by Agents and Observers. Who is responsible for providing explanation to Agents and Observers? As Agents and Observers may not fully understand the process, the Counting Centre Manager will explain each step taken during each stage of the count, and the reason why that stage is necessary. Counting Centre Managers will ensure that there is someone in their Counting Centre who can explain the Counting process to Observers and Agents in a language they can understand. Also, the Counting Centre Manager will ensure that the Agents and Observers are located so that they are able to see all stages of the Count, but are not close enough to touch the ballot papers. Counting staff will never turn their backs to Agents and Observers whilst handling ballot papers. How will the Counting-related complaints be handled and who will handle them? The Counting Centre Manager will receive complaints relating to the Counting process and make a decision to accept or reject any alleged irregularities. Complaints on irregularities witnessed during the Counting process must be made in writing at the time the irregularity is witnessed and before the next step of Counting process begins. Agents, or Counting Officials can lodge their written complaints to the Counting Centre Manager. All complaints must be made in understandable language. A written complaint must be signed by or marked with the thumbprint of the complainant. If the Counting Centre Manager cannot resolve a complaint, s/he will report to JEMB HQ through the Regional Coordinator. Further instructions are received from JEMB HQ through the Regional Coordinator. <http://www.afg-electionresults.org/english/english.htm> Profile: Hamid KarzaiSince Hamid Karzai was chosen to head Afghanistan's interim government in December 2001, he has survived an assassination attempt and infighting among ethnic groups to carve out a reputation as a shrewd statesman But during his time in charge, it has been clear the problems facing Mr Karzai, 46, have not eased. His critics say he has little control of events much beyond the capital, Kabul, where the country's ethnic warlords again hold sway. And since last summer, violence by militants opposed to the US-backed administration he runs has sharply risen - with many of their attacks targeting election workers and voters. Mr Karzai is also still trying to get his hands on money pledged by international donors to reconstruct the country following the rule of the Taleban. Pashtun After coming to power in late December 2001, Mr Karzai, a powerful Pashtun leader from the Taleban's former stronghold of Kandahar, wasted no time in carving out a high profile at home and abroad. He swept onto the international stage in January 2002 at an international donor's conference in Tokyo, where he managed to persuade donors to pledge more than $4bn to help rebuild Afghanistan. He then embarked on a tour of world capitals. Well educated, Westernised and stylish, Mr Karzai was feted by foreign governments. That culminated with being awarded an honorary knighthood by Britain's Queen Elizabeth in a ceremony at Windsor Castle in June last year. Mr Karzai quickly managed to build up considerable support at home, partly a tribute to his diplomatic skills, but also because many ordinary Afghans were disillusioned with the warlords who had returned to rule them. Correspondents say that as a royalist Pashtun from the south, he was accepted in a way few Northern Alliance ethnic minority leaders would be. And, they say, his record as an anti-Soviet combatant served him well with former mujahideen followers. Mr Karzai has long supported plans to build a broad-based government. He first began lobbying for this after slipping into Afghanistan from Pakistan - where his family had lived in exile for some years - in October 2001. At the time, US forces were carrying out military operations against the Taleban in Afghanistan. When the news leaked to the Taleban that Mr Karzai was back in the country, they raided his hideout and set off in pursuit of him. He was rescued by US helicopters and special forces. He is said to have played a key role in helping to oust the Taleban from their final stronghold of Kandahar in December 2001. Horse-trading By the time a United Nations-sponsored conference met to set up an interim government for Afghanistan, Mr Karzai had strong American backing and was clearly being groomed for leadership. Mr Karzai's critics have accused him of being an American stooge - particularly after the way in which the US intervened ahead of a second loya jirga in June 2002 to announce that the former king would not oppose Mr Karzai as a candidate for head of state. The political horse-trading may have tarnished his image with some Afghans. He has always faced great pressure to appear not to favour one faction over the other - nor to appear too beholden to the Americans. That task was not eased by the clear need to upgrade security around the president following the assassination attempt on him by suspected Taleban members in Kandahar in September 2002. Nevertheless, Mr Karzai pressed on with proposals for Afghans to take a greater role in security. Efforts are under way to build a 70,000-strong national army - a force Mr Karzai says will be loyal solely to his government and the only legal army Afghanistan will recognise. Rebuilding the army and disarming warlords are among his top priorities. He has also sought to tighten the screw on the regions by forging an agreement with powerful governors to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars in taxation to the central government. Last year, Mr Karzai threatened to resign if he did not get his way. Grassroot Concerns He then had to use his diplomatic powers to soothe a rift with Pakistan after the Pakistani embassy in Kabul was ransacked by Afghans. They were angry at alleged Pakistani border incursions. Mr Karzai cooled the tension by telling Pakistan the attackers were enemies of peace and stability in the country and promised to give compensation. However, analysts say there is grassroots unrest at continuing lack of security for ordinary Afghans. Many believe not enough has been done to extend security beyond Kabul and that the Americans are too intent on only pursuing al-Qaeda. And in Kabul, incidents such as the bulldozing of poor homes in August to make way for luxury accommodation for ministers have not helped matters. Anti-Soviet Mr Karzai was born on 24 December 1957 in Kandahar. After being educated in Kabul, the fluent English speaker went to university in Simla, India. In 1982, he joined the struggle against the Soviets and became director of operations of the Afghan National Liberation Front (ANLF). When the Taleban erupted on to Afghanistan's political scene in the early 1990s, Mr Karzai initially supported them. However, by late 1994 he had become suspicious of the movement, fearing it had been infiltrated and was controlled by foreigners, including Pakistanis and Arabs. That led him on the path which resulted in him leading his country following the Taleban's fall.
Profiles: Afghanistan's Presidential Hopefuls
Afghans are due to choose their first democratically elected president on 9 October. Here are some pen portraits of the key candidates. Hamid Karzai Afghanistan's interim president is 46 and the favourite to win the presidency. A powerful Pashtun leader from the Taleban's former stronghold of Kandahar, he has wasted no time in carving out a high profile at home and abroad. Well educated, Westernised and stylish, Mr Karzai is seen by many outside the country as the best bet to lead Afghanistan. But he is facing a strong array of opponents and the question is whether he can win outright in round one or whether he will have to go to a run-off two weeks later. Abdul Rashid Dostum The Uzbek general is the most high-profile candidate challenging Mr Karzai. A veteran strongman and survivor of many wars, he can bank on the votes of many of his fellow Uzbeks in the north. The general's controversial career has been marked by an ability to survive by switching sides in Afghanistan's complex web of shifting alliances. In the past three decades, he fought with and against Soviet troops, backed the Taleban and eventually threw his lot in with the anti-Taleban Northern Alliance. Yunoos Qanooni [A]former education minister, Mr Qanuni is a leading figure in the Northern Alliance which helped the US overthrow the Taleban in 2001. He has secured the backing of the powerful defence minister, Mohammad Fahim, who was dropped by Mr Karzai as his running mate. Mr Qanuni can rely on the support of the Tajiks of his native Panjshir region, north of Kabul, and is viewed as Mr Karzai's main challenger but is said to have limited nationwide appeal. Mohammad Mohaqiq Mr Mohaqiq is the leader of minority Shia Hazaras of central Afghanistan although he is from the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif. Like most of Mr Karzai's challengers, he is running as an independent. He has a very loyal following among the Hazaras and is also likely to get many votes from Hazaras still living as refugees in Iran and Pakistan. Dr Masooda Jalal The only female candidate, Dr Jalal is expected to get plenty of media attention but may find it more difficult winning votes. A qualified paediatrician from Kabul, she made her presence felt when she challenged President Karzai in the first loya jirga (grand council) after the Taleban were ousted. Dr Jalal will hope to get plenty of support from Afghan women, who make up two-thirds of the population. Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai A qualified engineer, Mr Ahmadzai belongs to the religious right and was a former prime minister and ally of the mujahideen leader and hardliner, Abdul Rasul Sayyaf. An ethnic Pashtun, he will take some votes away from Mr Karzai in the south and east. Some feel that he will be able to cash in on anti-American sentiments in the conservative Pashtun areas. Sayed Ishaq Gailani Another member of the majority Pashtuns, Mr Gailani belongs to one of Afghanistan's most influential religious families. A strong supporter of the monarchy, he is among those who have campaigned for a bigger political role for the former king, Zahir Shah. On the final day of campaigning - two days before polling - he announced he would now support Mr Karzai's candidacy. The other candidates are:
·
Hamayon Shah Asifi BBC News, 6 October 2004
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3541726.stm
Afghanistan's Election Challenge
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AFGHAN VOTE Eighteen presidential candidates Over 10.5m Afghans registered to vote 41.3% of voters are women Men and women to vote in separate polling stations More than 25,000 polling stations About 5,000 counting centres More than 130,000 polling officials |
Officials believe that the use of cartoons and info-graphics during registration helped educate the people.
The ballot papers, printed in Canada, will contain photographs, names and symbols of all the candidates to make it easier for the voters to identify their choice.
Voters will mark their choice on the ballot paper with a pen - millions of pens have been ordered.
There will be separate polling stations for men and women.
Voters will have a thumb marked with indelible ink.
A big challenge is to find enough men and women to staff voting centres in a country where literacy is low.
State-run radio is spreading the word about the election, and some 1,200 "civic educators" will be going around the country to hire local polling officials.
Trucks and Helicopters
Election logistics are also a considerable challenge in the country that has few good roads.
Pick-ups, four-wheel drives, jeeps, airplanes, helicopters, horses and donkeys will be used to transport polling officials and materials to all over the country.
Bringing the 30,000 ballot boxes, built in Denmark, to the counting centres after the end of the voting will be another daunting exercise - an average of 3,000 ballot boxes will be moved to each centre.
"There will be convoys of trucks, five MI-8 helicopters, jeeps and hired vehicles bringing ballot boxes to the polling centres," says Julian Type of the Joint Electoral Management Body.
In some cases, it may take a week to bring the boxes down to the counting centres, he adds.
The ballots will be gathered in the presence of national and international poll observers and candidates' agents.
They will be counted in the provinces.
Skittish Security
Security fears are running high ahead of the elections.
More than 20 people have died in recent violence - including an explosion in the capital, Kabul.
Much of the violence is blamed on Taleban or other militants who want to disrupt the elections.
At the offices of the election authorities, there are maps dividing the country into low, medium and high risk areas.
"The major conflict in Afghanistan has ceased, but security remains an ongoing concern," says Julian Type.
A top Europe-based election observer body has already said Afghanistan's skittish security environment would make it impossible to monitor the polls.
Some 12 people were killed and another 30 injured in election-related violence over the nine months it took to register voters, the UN says.
Many people were not able to register in the south and south-east because of threats by militants, officials say.
Registering Refugees
International election officials, who are helping out in Afghanistan, say the situation is more serious than it was during recent elections in "post-conflict societies" like Cambodia and East Timor.
The 26,000-strong US and Nato-led peacekeeping forces say they are taking measures to tighten security.
But as a spokesman for the Nato-led forces said recently, "security can never be 100%".
The inking of voters thumbs has also raised fears they could be targeted by militants.
"The ink will last for only five days. After that time, no voter can be singled out. People have been largely supportive of the election," says Said Mohammad Azam of the Joint Electoral Management Body.
How long will it take for the votes to be counted and the results declared?
"This country has never experienced elections before," Mr Azam says. "The results may take two to three weeks."
Some analysts say the election is being held hastily.
The registration of the 1.5 million refugees in Pakistan will be completed by an international body barely a week before polling.
"Nobody expects the election to be smooth. But it has to be held to give a voice to Afghan people," says analyst Kazeem Ahang of Kabul University.
Soutik Biswas, BBC News, 6 September 2004
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3631920.stm>
Whoever wins the Afghan presidential election will face the difficult challenge of trying to unite a country riven by ethnic, religious, regional and tribal rivalries into one nation under a strong central government
Since his interim government came to power almost three years ago, transitional president Hamid Karzai has been seeking to extend Kabul's control over a nation that has sometimes been described as a series of small fiefdoms.
He has recently stepped up efforts to curb the power of the so-called warlords - powerful regional commanders and leaders who either directly control, or have de facto control over, private militias and have resisted disarming them.
These warlords are in turn linked to a variety of ethnic, religious, tribal and sub-tribal groups and clans.
Long-term rivalries and differences between these groups, which have often fought each other in the past, have played into the election itself.
Broadening the Vote
Many candidates are portraying themselves as representing the interests of particular ethnic or religious groups, or the interests of the mujahideen who fought to expel the Soviet army during the 1980s.
Many voters are likely to face pressure to vote for someone from their own ethnic group. Human Rights Watch recently pointed to a string of alleged intimidations.
Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun and the favourite in the polls, and Yunus Qanuni, an ethnic Tajik regarded as his closest rival, are among a number of candidates fielding vice-presidential candidates from other ethnic groups in an attempt to broaden their vote.
Decades of war mean there has not been a national census in Afghanistan for many years.
However, it is widely accepted that Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group, with Tajiks second, followed by Uzbeks and Hazara Shia.
There are also many other, smaller, ethnic groups including Turkmens, Baluchs, Aimaks and others.
The various Pashtun presidential candidates have the largest potential ethnic-related vote base.
Mr Karzai also has the advantage of being head of the 500,000 strong Popolzai tribe, a sub-group of Afghanistan's most powerful tribe, the Durranis, who ruled Afghanistan for almost two centuries before being overthrown in the 1970s.
Religious Elites
Tribal loyalties count for a lot in Afghanistan. Tribal leaders expect to be obeyed.
In south-eastern Khost province, elders of the Terezay tribe threatened to burn down houses of tribe members who did not vote for Mr Karzai.
The list of presidential candidates also reflects long-running tensions in Pashtun society between tribal and religious elites.
One candidate in the election, Sayed Ishaq Gailani, is a member of Afghanistan's religious elite.
Descended from a much revered Sufi spiritual leader, his family were extremely influential in Afghanistan during the time of the monarchy.
He and another Pashtun candidate, a conservative religious former mujahideen leader, Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai, may take some votes from Mr Karzai.
There is also a variety of ethnic Tajik presidential hopefuls, the most prominent of whom is Mr Qanuni.
He is hoping to attract not only Tajik voters from his native Panjshir valley but also support from the broader Northern Alliance coalition that fought the Taleban.
He has been capitalising on his position as a trusted aide of the late Ahmed Shah Masood, the celebrated resistance fighter who led Afghanistan's resistance forces in the fight against the Taleban.
Abuse Claims
Along with Afghanistan's defence and foreign ministers, Mr Qanuni is also part of a powerful Tajik Panjshiri clique that has wielded considerable influence in Afghanistan's transitional administration.
So much so, in fact, that there were allegations it was undermining Mr Karzai's authority.
Mr Karzai effectively demoted Mr Qanuni from interior minister to education minister two years ago in an apparent attempt to curtail the influence of the Panjshiris.
Mr Karzai also recently removed the Tajik governor of Herat from his post.
The presence of so many other ethnic Tajik candidates in the election could dilute Mr Qanuni's share of the vote.
Among the other candidates, two men, General Abdul Rashid Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek, and Mohammed Mohaqiq, a Hazara Shia, are particularly well known in Afghanistan.
Both have been accused of human rights abuses in the past - allegations they strenuously deny.
But because they represent minorities with insufficient numbers to out-vote the Pashtun and Tajik communities, they are unlikely to win.
There has been speculation that, like a number of other candidates, they could be running in an attempt to increase their political leverage after the polls.
Many of these ethnic groups have fought one another in the past and have been accused of rights abuses against each other.
Many Pashtuns, who feel their influence has been eroded since the fall of the Taleban, will be hoping for a strong victory for Mr Karzai.
Other groups will be hoping that whoever wins, the elections do not
lead to an erosion of their own power and influence
Pam O'Toole, BBC News, 6 October 2004
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3717092.stm>
Today history was made in Afghanistan. We congratulate the Afghan people on exercising their political right to choose their country's next leader. They have much to be proud of in bringing their country to this point, just three years after the end of a quarter century of war and repression.
In these elections, millions of Afghans voted to select their next president through secret ballot across their country, and in Iran and Pakistan. The country had its first-ever election for a head of state. Initial reports indicate that turnout was extraordinarily high. Voters, including a large number of women, waited patiently for hours to cast their votes. Voting hours were extended at some polling stations to accommodate the heavy turnout. Based on first reports, we are encouraged that polling day proceeded calmly and that no major security incidents occurred. The voting is now finished, and the results will be tabulated over the days to come.
We note that there were reports of technical problems at some polling stations. We are confident that the Joint Electoral Management Body, which is charged with overseeing the elections, will review and address those complaints, as it has pledged to do. In its statement today, the Body promised that all complaints would be thoroughly investigated.
This election is the latest milestone on the Afghan people's road to democratic government and vibrant civil society. In the spring, they will take another major step in charting their political future when they return to the polls to select members of parliament and local governments. The United States and the international community will continue to support them as they work toward this brighter future.
2004/1095
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
U.S. Congratulates the Afghan People on their
Historic Triumph
U.S.
Embassy in Kabul
Press release,
Kabul, Afghanistan -- Special Presidential Envoy and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad congratulated the Afghan people this evening for successfully holding their national election for president.
"The Afghan Nation has spoken -- it has voted for democracy and freedom. This is a triumph for Afghanistan. Once again, the Afghan people have shown that they have seized the moment to establish democracy and secure their freedom. All Afghans should be proud of what their country has achieved today," Ambassador Khalilzad said.
Khalilzad continued, "Today's elections were a profound success, as demonstrated by the high voter turnout and the Afghan people's enthusiasm and pride in their country's first election for head of state in their 5,000-year history."
Initial reports indicate that voter turnout was extraordinarily high. Long lines were reported at polling stations throughout the country, and voting hours were extended to accommodate the turnout. In Bamiyan, for instance, Afghans stood in line for up to two hours in the snow to cast their vote. The participation of women in the election also appears to be high, even in areas such as Kandahar and Khost where some observers thought their turnout would be low. "Afghans, men and women alike, have once again met the challenge of this historic day," said Khalilzad.
We have taken note that some, including presidential candidates, have made accusations of technical problems and irregularities, particularly concerning the indelible ink applied to the thumbs of voters at polling places. Technical problems arise even in the elections of advanced countries. It is not surprising that some would occur in a country that is holding its first national election in decades. JEMB [Joint Electoral Management Body] and UNAMA [United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan] sought to address these difficulties with resourcefulness. All along, the Afghan people's confidence in the voting process remained steadfast.
"We recognize that some allegations remain and that there should be a process to address these allegations through a thorough and transparent investigation," said Khalilzad.
As the JEMB indicated in its statement earlier today, "All complaints and irregularities raised with the JEMB will be thoroughly investigated and taken into account when the JEMB deliberates on the extent to which the election accurately reflects the will of the Afghan people."
"In a democratic process, winners and losers have responsibilities. We do not yet know who is the winner in this election. However, the responsibility of all candidates is not to raise allegations of wrongdoing intended solely to paralyze the democratic process. For Afghanistan to win, the losers in the election should not undermine the achievement of the Afghan people," Khalilzad said.
Afghan, Coalition and ISAF forces should be congratulated for ensuring the safety of voters across the country. Efforts by the Taliban to disrupt the voting were limited to small-scale, isolated attacks, largely in the south and east.
"I want to thank Afghan soldiers and police, the Coalition, and ISAF for their excellent preparations to thwart the efforts of the extremists and terrorists. Today was a triumph for the Afghan people and a big defeat for the enemies of Afghanistan. These enemies wanted to derail the democratic process. And they failed," Khalilzad concluded.
(end text)
Press Statement of Khalilzad, 9 October 2004 <http://malaysia.usembassy.gov/wf/wf1009_afghan.htm>
The BBC's team of correspondents log their impressions, reports and pictures as they watch events unfold in Afghanistan's landmark presidential election.
Most recent entries are at the top.
Sanjoy Majumder :: central Kabul :: 1600 GMT
People have been streaming back home from what many here describe as one of Afghanistan's most remarkable and historic days ever.
But what has been most remarkable is the large scale participation of women. In the northern Balkh province, women came out in their bridal finery - with beads around their necks and henna on their hands - to vote.
In Kabul, at the end of the day, emotional women told the BBC that it had been the most memorable day in their lives. Some of them were in tears. One old woman said she'd woken up early in the morning and then woke up her sisters saying: "We have to get out to vote. The future of Afghanistan is at stake."
Noor Oghli :: Shibergan :: 1540 GMT
Voting was very good in Shibergan with large numbers of people turning out to vote. There was tight security and in general the day was very peaceful.
Here too people complained that indelible ink could easily be washed off their fingers.
General Abdur Rashid Dostum voted in his home town. Later he complained that an election official was persuading people to vote for a particular candidate.
In neighbouring Maimana, people complained that there were not enough observers. They said that the town was completely managed by local residents since there were no representatives of Isaf and no foreign troops. A large number of women voted in this northern town.
Monica Whitlock :: Mazar-e-Sharif :: 1420 GMT
A few here complained about voting irregularities, but on the whole the mood has been very positive and cheerful.
If Hamid Karzai's rivals reject the election now, the thousands of men and women who voted for them will be bitterly disappointed.
Saeed Haqiqi :: Herat :: 1335 GMT
Voting has ended here in Herat and while there was some disappointment about the use of washable ink to mark voters' hands, the majority of Afghans have been content with the process.
But other voters expressed concern that the officials who were monitoring the polling stations were standing beside voters when they cast their ballots, not providing them with enough privacy.
And in a district south of Herat there have been reports of two people injured in a shooting incident. It is believed they were shot by gunmen on a motorcycle who subsequently escaped.
Paul Anderson :: Kandahar :: 1239 GMT
We've been told here in Kandahar that the gates to polling stations have been closed and that they closed on time at 4pm Afghan time. I haven't been told that anybody has been let through.
So perhaps this information that polling has been extended by a couple of hours hasn't filtered through to Kandahar. They're certainly wrapping up here.
And the mood here wasn't tarnished by the problem with the ink. It was a celebration today. There was a tremendous buzz of excitement at the polling stations.
I genuinely got the feeling that this was the people's opportunity and that's why in Kandahar the problem with the ink is being laughed out of town.
People here believe that it was no massive fraud but either incompetence or confusion.
Crispin Thorold :: Kabul :: 1234 GMT
The electoral authorities haven't rejected the complaints from other candidates about the vote. They stressed repeatedly that all complaints raised will be thoroughly investigated.
What that means in practise really depends on the margin of victory. If this irregularity is felt to have made a difference to the overall result, then they will take this into account.
Andrew North :: Kabul :: 1229 GMT
Ray Kennedy, a senior official with the joint Afghan UN election commission said halting the vote at this point would be unjustified, and would deny people their fundamental right to vote.
But the fact remains that a serious shadow has been cast over this process, before it's even over.
Saeed Haqiqi :: Herat :: 1221 GMT
People are still voting in Herat. The voting time has been extended by two hours and Afghans are still arriving at polling stations to cast their votes. But it is no longer very busy. The queues have disappeared.
The security has been tight in the city but complete calm, and voting has gone ahead without any problems.
But some people have been very disappointed that the ink used to mark people who have already voted can be rubbed off.
They say that alot of people have two or three election cards and they would be able to vote for their favourite candidate.
In general Afghans in Herat are happy with the process and pleased to be voting.
Frances Harrison :: Tehran :: 1115 GMT
There's a large crowd outside the Shahre Rey voting station in south Tehran, men and women queuing separately.
Voters came before the polling station even opened at seven in the morning. By noon, all the available ballot boxes were full, and the organisers were wondering what to do as hundreds of people waited patiently outside.
Some refugees complained they were not being allowed to vote, even though they had Afghan birth certificates.
One man said the local police had treated him disrespectfully, pushing him around, even though he'd been in Iran for 20 years, and had done the dirtiest jobs in this country.
But most said how happy they were to have a chance to propel their country towards peace and democracy.
Crispin horold :: Kabul :: 1049 GMT
Afghans may still be voting in large numbers across the country, but with the apparent boycott of this election by all the remaining candidates but Hamid Karzai, the legitimacy of the poll has already been called into question.
The leadership of the Joint Election Management Board, which is running the ballots, is now discussing what action they will take.
A spokesman for the UN said that the JEMB takes the views of all candidates very seriously.
Monica Whitlock :: Mazar-e-Sharif :: 1036 GMT
Women have been turning out in especially large numbers. At one polling station, officials told us there had been more than 600 women through, and only 500 men.
Most voters have the same priorities: "We want peace, security, jobs and schools," people told us, from young students to elderly farmers.
There are some complaints about multiple voting. Voters showed us how the ink used to dye their thumbs had washed off, making it possible to cheat.
But by and large, the election here has gone well and peacefully.
Paul Anderson :: Kandahar :: 1021 GMT
The voting here in Kandahar is continuing without incident. Voters have experienced the same problems with the ink as the rest of the country. But this has not obstructed the process so far.
People are now waiting to hear from the authorities managing the election. But they've been very keen to get in and vote, and defy the threats from the Taleban to those participating in the electoral process.
And women voters have been present too. For people here the election has presented a development following years of conflict.
This is something new and it's a change which has not been lost on the Afghan electorate here in the south.
Babrak Miakhil :: Jalalabad :: 1008 GMT
Voting started briskly at 0700 Afghan time and continued until 1200. There was a lot of interest as enthusiastic queues formed outside polling stations. But after 1200 the queues thinned down.
There were lot of complaints about the indelible ink rubbing off. Many women voters, especially from the countryside, said they were unsure about how to cast their vote.
One woman told me that she dropped a blank ballot into the box because she did not know she had to mark it. By and large, fewer women took part in the voting in this part of Afghanistan.
But the security in this troubled province was good and there were no major scares as feared.
Haroon Rashid :: Peshawar, Pakistan :: 0928 GMT
Polling is continuing peacefully in over a thousand polling stations set up across the North West Frontier province. No major incident has been reported from any of these stations.
Reports from Balochistan province also speak of peaceful polling.
Polling stations for refugees were also set up in rural areas. Vehicles decorated with tri-colour Afghan national flags were seen ferrying voters to cast their ballot.
Some nationals registered in Afghanistan have complained of not being allowed to vote in Pakistan. But United Nations officials have stated Afghans registered at specific polling stations must come back to vote there.
An Afghan cleric Maulvi Sultan Mohammad told the BBC he would only vote when the American forces are gone from his country: "This is not only my decision, but I think the decision of all Muslims of Afghanistan."
Andrew North :: Kabul :: 0912 GMT
Fifteen candidates have issued a joint statement saying the election should be suspended because of the use of ink at polling stations. They also talk of other irregularities across the country.
Among those signing up to the statement are Younis Qanuni and General Abdul Rashid Dostum, the two most important challengers to president Hamid Karzai.
But the ink issue is something which emerged this morning when voters demonstrated that the ink could be scrubbed off. We know that there are many Afghans out there with more than one voter registration card.
But for now the election organisers have said polling will continue.
Sanjoy Majumder :: Macrorayon, Kabul :: 0745 GMT
Orders have come to the poll officials at the Abdul Hadi Dawi school - they are to make sure they are using the right indelible ink pen.
One official decides to take matters into his own hands. Dispensing with the pen altogether, he pushes a bottle of ink at a voter and invites him to dip his thumb into it. "Now let's see how they can wash it off," he says grinning.
Outside, the earlier mood of scepticism has been replaced with a sunnier, more festive spirit.
A group of Qabaili tribals - largely Pashtun - have taken out an impromptu victory celebration at the Great Masood Way - a major intersection in memory of the slain Northern Alliance leader.
Despite being weeks away from a result, they are confident that the man they support - President Hamid Karzai - has already won.
Singing and dancing they march through the streets as a group of Isaf soldiers look on, amused.
At least some Afghans have decided to wholeheartedly embrace the democratic spirit.
Monika Whitlock :: Mazar-e-Sharif :: 0728 GMT
There's a cheerful, holiday mood in Mazar - schools and shops are closed and children are out flying kites.
There are no reports of violence here, but basic security measures are in place. Some roads are blocked off, and motorcycles are banned for the day.
People are not allowed to carry guns in the city unless they're part of the official security apparatus.
Crispin Thorold :: Kabul :: 0706 GMT
In the tranquil setting of the former prime minister's palace, Afghanistan's president, and some of the leading members of his cabinet, have cast their ballots.
Speaking to reporters after voting, Hamid Karzai said that this is a great day for the Afghan people. "I hope this day will stay with us forever," he added.
Immediately outside American security contractors carrying machine guns were on patrol. Security in Kabul is very tight and few drivers have ventured on to the roads.
Paul Anderson :: Kandahar :: 0624 GMT
I'm in one of Kandahar's female voting centres and the women who are emerging have been saying they are extremely happy to be taking part in the process.
There is also concern here the procedure of marking people's thumbs with ink has broken down.
Some voters have washed off the ink. And I've seen one or two step back into voting lines clearly with the desire to cast another ballot.
They won't be able to do that because the voter registration cards are punched and that will be seen easily.
Haroon Rashid :: Peshawar, Pakistan :: 0602 GMT
During a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Peshawar, close to the Afghan border, a number of eager Afghans were seen gathering well before the start of voting.
A bearded 60-year-old Baba Gul was one of them standing outside a male polling station in the dusty Kacha Garhi camp. "I have come early to avoid rush and also to get back to my work in time," he told the BBC.
In a nearby school for girls, Afghan refugee women were turning up in bigger numbers then men. A female polling staff member said around 800 women were due to cast their ballot here.
Most of the camp's inhabitants are ethnic Pashtuns from Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar.
Sanjoy Majumder :: Macrorayon, Kabul :: 0440 GMT
Farook Wardak, head of the election commission, has turned up to investigate the reports of faulty ink - used to mark voters' thumbs to prevent multiple ballots.
"Look," it can be rubbed off," cries one voter as Mr Wardak is surrounded.
"They're using the wrong pen," groans Mr Wardak as he reaches for his mobile phone. "They're using markers."
Voting is suspended temporarily while the problem is sorted out.
"It shouldn't be a problem," says another of the election heads, Reg Austin.
"The identity cards are punched so they cannot be produced again."
But there have been concerns that many voters have multiple identity cards which means they could quite easily vote more than once.
Andrew North :: Kabul :: 0410 GMT
Voting has been suspended in some polling stations in Kabul after problems emerged with indelible ink designed to prevent multiple voting.
It's a key part of the protection measures set up by election organisers to prevent fraud. After each voter casts their ballot their thumb is marked with ink but many voters are finding they can remove it easily.
Every voter the BBC talked to at one polling centre showed they can remove the ink that's been placed on their thumb. Reports are coming in of similar problems elsewhere.
Paul Anderson :: Kandahar :: 0352 GMT
Large crowds gathered at Kandahar's polling stations clearly excited at the prospect of voting. One old man I spoke to said he had been waiting since his youth to see such scenes. Another said the vote represented a new era in Afghanistan's history and that the situation in the country could only get better.
Officials are hoping for a high turnout although not many people are expecting that to include women. The proportion of female voters in the south is a fraction of the national average.
Security is also tight with people being body searched before they go into polling stations. The authorities have closed Kandahar and other major centres to commercial traffic to try to prevent any attack by Taleban insurgents.
In the run-up to the voting the feared attacks by the Taleban failed to materialise.
Monica Whitlock :: Mazar-e-Sharif :: 0330 GMT
Here at the Fatima Balkhi High School the voters were lining up well before the doors opened, men on one side, women on the other.
"I have to use my vote, it's my responsibility," said Musal, a girl of 19, one of the first to go through the doors.
Inside each receives a huge voting card with the photos and names of all 16 candidates, plus their electoral symbols. Hamed Karzai's is a weighing scales. General Dostum's a running black horse.
The first voters we met seemed to support a variety of candidates. One shopkeeper told us, Karzai, because he's restoring the reputation of Afghanistan. Some of the women though are with Masooda Jalal, the only female candidate.
Sanjoy Majumder :: Macrorayon district of Kabul :: 0315 GMT
I'm at a school where about 200 people have already cast their votes. Nine of the voting booths are for men, two for women.
Abdul Razak was the first person to cast his vote. "It was very easy," he said, beaming.
A dust storm overnight discouraged many early voters, but queues are picking up now.
Polling officials say things are going smoothly so far. There is huge enthusiasm among voters, although some of the men are cross they had to wait for an hour to cast their vote.
Andrew North :: Kabul :: 0240 GMT
Polls opened a few minutes ago. A queue of some 50 voters, most of them men, was waiting outside the polling station I'm at before voting officially started.
Every polling centre is guarded by police who search each voter as they arrive.
But after a campaign that saw less violence than expected, hopes have risen that today's vote will be relatively peaceful.
BBC News, 9 October 2004
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3727878.stm>
Afghan Election Disputed
Fifteen Candidates Allege Fraud in Presidential Vote
KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 9 - After a
relatively peaceful and orderly start, Afghanistan's first presidential
election was thrown into chaos Saturday after 15 candidates opposing President
Hamid Karzai declared the results invalid, complaining of fraud and improper
procedures.
The contretemps threatened to ruin the credibility of a historic election that
has cost foreign donors almost $200 million, seen more than 10 million Afghans
register to vote and been viewed as a milestone in the country's
transformation into a stable, modernizing country after 25 years of war and
turmoil.
The candidates' complaints stood in sharp contrast to the enthusiastic spirit
of hundreds of thousands of Afghans who lined up outside village schools and
mosques on a chilly, wind-swept morning to cast the first votes of their
lives. Whoever won, they told visitors over and over, they hoped the election
would bring peace and security.
The national election commission, composed of members from Afghanistan and the
United Nations, said Saturday afternoon that it would allow the election to
proceed despite the candidates' protests but that it would investigate
complaints of irregularities. The polls closed at 6:30 p.m., and
ballot-counting was expected to take days because of the remote locations of
many polling stations.
"Given the complexities of this electoral process, there have inevitably been
some technical problems," said J. Ray Kennedy, an election commission
official. But given the large turnout and "peaceful environment" of the vote
-- for which the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe and other international groups supplied monitors -- it would be
"unjustified" to halt the election and deny many Afghans their fundamental
rights, he said.
Since responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States with a
military offensive that toppled Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, the Bush
administration had eagerly sought elections that would give Afghans a chance
to pick their leaders and would be seen as a major U.S. foreign policy
success. With U.S. backing, Karzai was named interim president in late 2001
under a U.N.-sponsored democratization process that has already advanced
through two national assemblies, a new constitution and voter registration.
Karzai, who has been heavily favored to win a majority of votes, insisted
Saturday evening that the election had been "free and fair." He urged all
candidates to accept the results and to "respect our people, because in the
dust and snow and rain, they waited hours and hours to vote."
But his opponents, a range of ethnic politicians, former officials, tribal
leaders and professionals, declared repeatedly during the day that the
election should be nullified, suspended and held again, largely because of a
widespread mix-up over indelible ink that was supposed to mark voters' thumbs
to prevent them from voting more than once.
During a day-long tour of polling sites in three provinces, a Washington Post
reporter saw many instances in which poll workers mistakenly inked voters'
thumbs with black marking pens intended to be used on ballots instead of the
purple indelible ink supplied to prevent fraud.
Voters expressed concern at the ease with which the black ink rubbed off, but
no one at a dozen polling stations, including designated agents for various
candidates, complained of deliberate fraud.
But in Kabul, opposition candidates met for much of the afternoon at the home
of Abdul Sattar Sirat, a former cabinet minister and one of Karzai's
challengers. "Any government that comes to power as a result of today's
election has no credibility and no validity," Sirat said after the meeting.
The controversy came as a shock to Afghan and international election
officials, who had warned of possible attacks at the polls by Taliban
guerrillas and other anti-democratic forces, but who never expected the
candidates to cast doubt on the process.
There were numerous scattered incidents of violence and anti-election plots
reported during the day, but most were in remote provinces. An unprecedented
deployment of nearly 100,000 Afghan and foreign security forces sealed off all
major roads and guarded most polling centers.
Police said they discovered a fuel tanker truck carrying land mines and
explosives in the southern city of Kandahar and arrested three Pakistanis who
were in the vehicle. They said the volatile cargo could have been detonated in
the city. Interior Ministry officials said they found explosives and other
dangerous items in cars throughout Kabul and arrested a group of Taliban
members who were holding a clandestine meeting.
Pamela Constable, Washington Post, 10 October 2004
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20091-2004Oct9.html>
Afghan Polls Largely Fair, say Observers
KABUL, Oct 10: Afghanistan's first presidential vote, which ended in turmoil
after most candidates announced a boycott, was mostly fair, independent
observers said on Sunday.
President Hamid Karzai rejected calls from his rivals for fresh elections. Attacks on the vote did not materialize, but up to 40 people were killed in clashes, including 24 in a US bombing raid. But midway through the day, all 15 rivals of US-backed Karzai said they were boycotting the poll because a system to prevent voting fraud had failed. Many demanded fresh voting.
With questions over the late and rapid registration of 10.5 million voter cards in a population of about 28 million, there were allegations of illegal multiple voting.
The largest group of independent election observers, The Free and Fair Election Foundations of Afghanistan, made up of 13 Afghan non-governmental organisations, said the vote was fair.
"The
large participation of Afghans is an encouraging sign of people's
participation in the democratic process," it said. "While the reasons for the
incorrectly applied indelible ink remain to be seen, a fairly democratic
environment has generally been observed in the overall majority of polling
centres."
Counting: Earlier, candidate Abdul Satar Serat condemned the vote as
illegal and against democracy. "The result that comes out of this election
will be an illegal result," he said.
Mr Karzai said his rivals should respect the will of the people. "I would advise my fellow countrymen, the 15 other candidates, that we must all respect the fact that millions of Afghans came out on foot, in rain and snow and dust and waited for hours to vote," he said.
"That's a tremendous thing for us in this country for the first time, and we must all respect that and wait for the commission to count the votes and make a judgment on the irregularities and then we proceed further from that point.
"Just because 15 people have said 'No', we can't deny the votes of millions." The Joint Election Management Body of UN and Afghan experts said the allegations of irregularities were serious and would be investigated. But it said counting, likely to begin on Monday, would go ahead. Some officials said it could take up to three weeks to settle questions on irregularities. In Kabul's main Pul-i-Khisti bazaar, back to its usual chaos after fears of campaign violence and the vote, opinions were divided.
The election came three years after US-led forces invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime for harbouring Osama bin Laden, allegedly architect of the Sept 11 attacks.
US President George W. Bush, facing his own election next month, has claimed the Afghan vote as a foreign policy success and is hoping it can be mirrored in Iraq. "Today's an appropriate day for Americans to remember and thank the men and women of our armed forces who liberated Afghanistan," Bush said as he campaigned in St Louis. –Reuters
Dawn, 11 October 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/11/top12.htm>
Afghanistan's Presidential Election
Afghanistan held its first presidential election after the country's Taliban
leaders were ousted by the U.S. military.
When:
The
elections were originally scheduled for June, then delayed until September,
then delayed again to Oct. 9, 2004. If none of the candidates wins a majority
of the votes on the first ballot, a run-off vote with the top two candidates
will be held two weeks later. Because of lengthy vote-counting procedures and
the possibility of a second ballot, the winner of the election may not be
determined until November 2004. Elections for the Afghan parliament,
originally to take place at the same time as the presidential vote, will take
place in April or May 2005.
Who Voted:
All Afghans 18 years of age and older are eligible to vote. On Aug. 18, 2004, UN officials said they had registered nearly 10 million voters in the country. Since no census of Afghanistan has ever been taken, there's no way to know how many eligible voters there are. Nearly 42 per cent of the newly registered voters are women, but that figure drops to less than 10 per cent in some provinces in the southeast. Women make up two-thirds of the Afghan population. On Oct. 4, 2004, organizers completed registration of 740,000 Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Nearly 600,000 people are eligible to vote in Iran.
The UN called the election turnout "massive," but didn't
immediately have any firm numbers. Estimates ranged from five million to seven
million voters.
Who
Ran:
Interim President Hamid Karzai is facing 17 challengers for the presidency. Two of the leading candidates are Yunus Qanuni, Karzai's education minister, and Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, a leader in the Uzbek community. Early in the campaign, the challengers accused Karzai of using government resources to gain an unfair advantage in the campaign and asked him to resign. They threatened to boycott the election if he did not.
Canadian Connection:
Elections Canada helped to set up the Afghan voting system and the elections ballots were printed in Canada.
Violence and Disruptions:
Although the voting day itself was relatively peaceful, owing perhaps to the 100,000 Afghan and foreign troops providing security at the polls, the weeks leading up to the election were marked by violence. Nearly 1,000 people, including 30 U.S. troops, were reported killed by Associated Press in 2004 before the election. The actual number is thought to be much higher because killings in remote areas of the country are not reported.
Among the reported incidents:
On June 26, 2004, two woman were killed and 13 other people wounded when a bomb hit a bus carrying election workers.
· CBC STORY: Election workers killed in Afghanistan
On June 27, 2004, gunmen stopped a bus and killed 16 people who were carrying voter registration cards.
· CBC STORY: Taliban blamed for killing Afghan voters
On Sept. 16, 2004, a rocket was fired at a U.S. military helicopter carrying Hamid Karzai as it approached an airbase in Gardez in eastern Afghanistan. Karzai aborted the trip and returned to Kabul. Three suspected Taliban members were later arrested in connection to the attack.
· CBC STORY: Rocket attack narrowly misses Afghan president
Potential for Fraud:
Some observers have said election fraud is rampant in the voter registration process. Karzai has acknowledged that the number of people who have registered more than once could range from 1,000 to 100,000. Human Rights Watch, a New York-based watchdog organization, says Afghan officials have acknowledged that the number of people expected to vote could be as low as five million.
To prevent people from voting more than once (even if they have registered more than once), officials with the joint UN-Afghan electoral body said they would mark the thumb cuticle of each voter with indelible ink. But 15 of the 18 presidential candidates complained that election workers at some polls used ink that could be easily wiped off and many people voted more than once. On the afternoon of the day of the election, they called for the vote to be stopped and threatened to boycott the election results.
The UN-Afghan election committee promised a swift investigation of voting irregularities, but refused to stop the vote.
Human Rights Watch said the problem with the ink would be a huge blow to the perceived legitimacy of the election, whether or not it actually made it illegitimate.
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/afghanistan/afghanelection.html>
Breakthrough in Afghan Vote Dispute
KABUL, Oct 11: A breakthrough agreement in Afghanistan's disputed elections
was reached on Monday when the main rival to President Hamid Karzai said he
would accept the result after an independent inquiry into charges of fraud.
Yunus Qanooni, a former cabinet member who has the support of the powerful Northern Alliance, was the only candidate believed to have a chance of beating Hamid Karzai.
He had joined with 13 others on Saturday to denounce the election as illegitimate and call for a new vote, but after intense negotiations with Western and UN diplomats moderated his stance.
"To respect the will of millions of Afghans and to go along with our national interests I would accept the results of the election after the investigation," Mr Qanooni said.
Shortly before Mr Qanooni spoke, the joint UN-Afghan electoral management board had announced that the UN would set up a three-person independent panel to investigate the charges of irregularities.
The panel would include a former Canadian diplomat and a Swedish electoral expert, with the third member still to be identified by the European Union, electoral management board vice-chairman Ray Kennedy said at a news conference.
Qanooni said he wanted the report of the independent inquiry to be published before the results of the election were announced. Mr Kennedy announced vote counting had been put on hold in case there was any need to deal with a specific ballot box.
Among other issues in the negotiations is a push by Mr Qanooni for some polling stations to be reopened. He has charged that in areas where he has wide support the stations opened late and closed early.
Mr Qanooni himself boycotted the vote, but if polling stations were reopened he would cast his ballot, he said. Mr. Kennedy said if candidates who boycotted the election on Saturday wanted to cast their votes, their demands would be considered.
All presidential candidates should submit their detailed complaints by Tuesday, he said. Mr Qanooni was among 14 candidates who on Saturday called for a halt to the election, charging fraud and irregularities after it was discovered that ink meant to stain voters' fingers to prevent multiple ballots was rubbing off.
Most of the candidates stood no chance of winning, and many of them are expected to follow Mr Qanooni's lead, opening the way for the acceptance of the result. However, the opposition candidates include powerful regional and ethnic leaders - some of whom have large private militias - and UN and Western diplomats are working hard to ensure they all accept the result. -AFP
Dawn, 12 October 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/12/top15.htm>
Dostum Ends Boycott, Afghan Vote Count Soon
KABUL: A top rival to Afghan election frontrunner President Hamid Karzai called off his boycott of the process on Wednesday, making it likely that the historic poll’s result would be recognised by all despite voting irregularities.
With ballot counting expected to begin later on Wednesday, Uzbek general Abdul Rashid Dostum joined the two other main challengers in agreeing to recognise the eventual outcome of the country’s first ever-direct presidential vote. “Dostum is of the view that the election is a major achievement for everyone,” said spokesman Faizullah Zaki.
“He met yesterday with the candidates and all termed the election a victory, but they all said that there were violations and that they should be assessed.” A panel appointed by the UN-Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) was in Kabul on Wednesday to assess complaints among candidates of multiple voting made possible by a mix-up over the ink used to mark voters’ thumbs. On Saturday, 15 of 18 candidates announced they would boycott the vote, casting a pall over a day when millions of Afghan men and women queued outside polling stations across the war-ravaged country in defiance of Taliban threats to launch major attacks. Reuters
Daily Times, 14 October 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_14-10-2004_pg4_13>
Islamabad Played Useful Role, says Khalilzad: Afghan
Presidential Election
WASHINGTON, Oct 15: US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, on Friday praised Pakistan for preventing cross-border attacks during the Afghan election and said Islamabad played a useful and important role in ensuring peace at that critical stage.
"Also I have to take advantage of the opportunity to say Pakistan played a useful, important role to cooperate, to prevent as much as possible cross-border operations," he told a briefing at the Pentagon.
This display of goodwill from an envoy who is otherwise known for his blistering attacks on Pakistan was rare and short. He stopped abruptly while searching for more words to praise Pakistan and then moved on to other subjects.
