Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Posts tagged: election

election

constituencies - two complicated and politically fraught tasks. Photo: Martine van Bijlert

Update on Afghanistan’s Electoral Process: Electoral deadlock broken – for now

Ali Yawar Adili • Martine van Bijlert •

Afghanistan’s electoral reform process, a major part of the National Unity Government’s programme, has been slow and painful with its high stakes and divided government positions. But over the last few months two significant hurdles have been taken: the new electoral law has finally been passed, and the new electoral commissions have been appointed. Although […]

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Just 27 MPs voted for the amended presidential decree that would have allowed changes to the electoral commissions. 126 rejected it. Photo: Tolo News

Another hurdle for elections in 2016: MPs reject presidential decree on electoral commissions

Ali Yawar Adili • Kate Clark • Lenny Linke • Salima Ahmadi •

Had MPs approved the presidential legislative decree ‘reforming’ the electoral commissions, Afghanistan would now be significantly closer to holding parliamentary and district elections. (And the National Unity Government could have claimed to be pushing forward on electoral reform, something required by the agreement that established it.) However, after three days of ill-mannered discussion, MPs roundly […]

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Pushing the Parliament to Accept a Decree: Another Election without Reform?

Ali Yawar Adili • Martine van Bijlert •

Afghanistan’s electoral reform process, that was supposed to be a precondition for the next ballot, has been excruciatingly slow and has culminated in a watered-down version of its original mandate. The delays mean that it has by now become practically impossible to hold elections this year. The presidential palace, however, continues to insist that both elections […]

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Elections 2014 (52): The not yet officially announced results – electoral maths with unknowns

Thomas Ruttig •

After over five months, Afghanistan has finally an election result … kind of. In a remarkable step, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced the winner of the run-off on 21 September 2014, but did not release the results – apparently one of Abdullah’s unbending conditions for reaching a final agreement on the national unity government. […]

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Elections 2014 (51): Finally, a deal, but not yet democracy

Kate Clark •

After more than three months of audits and behind-the-scenes negotiation, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah signed a deal today to set up a government of national unity. The election ‘result’ was announced a couple of hours later, but the Independent Election Commission (IEC) declined to give any figures. It had been clear, all along, that […]

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Discussions during the "special audit", while the candidates' agents were still present. Kabul, August 2014 Photo: Martine van Bijlert

Elections 2014 (46): Déjà vu – Abdullah pulls out, process continues

Martine van Bijlert •

What has the Abdullah team been playing at, pulling out of the audit again? Hard to say – but it is a risky all-or-nothing gamble, writes Martine van Bijlert. She summarises what has been happening over the past week, looking at the candidates’ behaviour and possible motives behind their strategies, but also at the ‘progress’ […]

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Election 2014 (23): Deals and insults in Afghanistan’s second round campaign

AAN Team •

Less than a week before the second round of the presidential election on 14 June 2014, the campaigns of both contenders are well under way. Alongside the main campaign methods of the first round – billboards, large public rallies – the process of deal-making and recruiting influential supporters seems to have now moved to the […]

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Afghan Youth for Democracy? Not all of them

Borhan Osman •

Many observers are looking with hope at the progress in terms of education of Afghan youth and often describe it as a safeguard of democracy during the political transitions ahead. This, however, means painting Afghan youth with an all–too-broad brush and closing eyes to undercurrents that try to undermine further democratisation, says AAN’s Borhan Osman. […]

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What to Watch in the Elections (4): The count, the complaints and the result

Martine van Bijlert •

Elections in Afghanistan can be overwhelming, surreal and utterly confusing, even for those who have followed the politics of the country for a long time. To bring those who were not here during previous elections up to speed, and to remind those who may have forgotten the details of what it was like, AAN’s Martine […]

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Bomb and Ballot: The many strands and tactics of Hezb-e Islami

Thomas Ruttig •

Hezb-e Islami Afghanistan – known as Hezb-e Islami of Gulbuddin, or HIG, in the West – has (almost) declared support for its former chief negotiator with Kabul as a candidate for the 5 April 2014 presidential election. This comes less than a week after it claimed the latest suicide car bomb attack in Kabul that […]

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In Afghanistan beginnt der Wahlkampf der Warlords

AAN •

Die Welt (Germany), 2 February 2014 In an article reviewing the credentials, and particularly the human rights records, of the eleven Afghan presidential candidates, Nader Nadery is quoted as saying that "at least nine of the [presidential and vice presidential] candidates" have been linked to war crimes. The article also mentions AAN's recent report about Kunduz […]

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In Afghanistan beginnt der Wahlkampf der Warlords

AAN Team •

Die Welt (Germany), 2 February 2014 In an article reviewing the credentials, and particularly the human rights records, of the eleven Afghan presidential candidates, Nader Nadery is quoted as saying that “at least nine of the [presidential and vice presidential] candidates” have been linked to war crimes. The article also mentions AAN’s recent report about Kunduz […]

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