On the Other Side of the World, an Even More Dysfunctional Election: America Has a Huge Stake in Afghanistan’s Future

New York Daily News, 2018

4 Pages Posted: 26 Jun 2020

See all articles by Mehdi J. Hakimi

Mehdi J. Hakimi

Harvard University - Harvard Law School; Stanford Law School

Date Written: November 9, 2018

Abstract

Late last month, Afghanistan finally held its long-overdue parliamentary election, sort of. Defying Taliban threats and assaults, approximately 4 million brave Afghans cast their ballots in the hope of institutionalizing democracy in Afghanistan. Crucially, the parliamentary election was a test run for a more consequential spectacle: the upcoming presidential race in April. However, as the parliamentary polls dust — or sandstorm — begins to settle, the prospects for a fair and transparent presidential election look bleak.

Unfortunately, the chaotic election, electoral authorities’ questionable conduct, and government interference have stoked fears about a repeat of the fraud-riddled fiasco that marred the 2014 presidential race. It would be a tragic irony if the ostensible guardians of Afghanistan’s electoral system end up strangling the fledgling democracy from within — a job the Taliban has failed to do. The international community, including the United States, has a crucial role in averting yet another major crisis, while it might still be possible.

Keywords: Afghanistan, Afghan War, Taliban, Afghan Election, Parliamentary Polls, Presidential Election, Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, Fraud, Democracy, UNAMA, United States

Suggested Citation

Hakimi, Mehdi J., On the Other Side of the World, an Even More Dysfunctional Election: America Has a Huge Stake in Afghanistan’s Future (November 9, 2018). New York Daily News, 2018, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3621323

Mehdi J. Hakimi (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Harvard Law School

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Stanford Law School

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Stanford, CA 94305
United States

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