With Hamid Karzai termed out of office, eight candidates are running for president of Afghanistan. Some US officials claim this weekend's election will accomplish "the first, peaceful, democratic" transition of power in that country's history. But it might not turn out that way. The Taliban has already increased the level of violence, and voter fraud is predicted on what's called an "industrial" scale. Nonetheless, thousands of potential voters have showed up at rallies, and the increased participation of women reflects profound cultural change. Will the election preserve those gains by creating a government perceived as "legitimate" by Afghans and by Americans?
Has Democracy Come to Afghanistan?
More
- AJA on whether Afghan democracy can succeed amidst concerns of election rigging, Taliban attacks?
- Al Jazeera America on mounting fears of voter fraud ahead of Afghan election
- Expert views on Afghanistan's upcoming election and security situation
- Gopal on Taliban being 'ripe for compromise' against withdrawal of foreign troops
- Gopal's 'No Good Men among the Living: The Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes'
- Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan
- Nordland on Afghan election campaigns against backdrop of war, unrest
- Nordland on Afghan women seeing hope in the ballot box
- Tarabay on waste, mismanagement of US taxpayer money on Afghan reconstruction
Credits
Guests:
- Rod Nordland - New York Times - @rodnordland
- Michael O'Hanlon - Brookings Institution - @MichaelEOHanlon
- Anand Gopal - New America Foundation - @anand_gopal_
- Jamie Tarabay - Al Jazeera America - @jamietarabay