Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Posts tagged: Elections

Elections

Thematic Dossier IV: Afghanistan’s 2014 Presidential and Provincial Council Elections

AAN Team •

This year’s ‘political transition’ is hugely important: if all goes well, Afghanistan will see a new leader and a rare example in its history of a change of government not involving death, coup or conquest. If it goes badly, there will be consequences for the country’s stability. For many of those at the Afghanistan Analysts […]

Dossiers Read more
Dr Abdullah and Dr Ghani signing their first bilateral agreement on 8 August 2014.

2014 Elections (43): The second installment of a Kerry-brokered agreement

Martine van Bijlert •

US Secretary of State John Kerry made his second visit to Kabul in a month, in a repeated attempt to help Afghanistan finally arrive at an election outcome – preferably before the NATO summit in early September. The press conference at the end of his visit, together with both presidential candidates, was in many ways […]

International Engagement Read more

Elections 2014 (38): Candidate positioning after the preliminary results

Martine van Bijlert •

A day after the announcement of the preliminary results, the US and the UN have sought to temper the shock and anger in the Abdullah camp, as well as the joy among Ghani’s supporters, by stressing that the results are not final. Both Abdullah and Ghani have sought public positions that could allow for a […]

Political Landscape Read more

Elections 2014 (17): Journalists argue over neutrality, patriotism and the E-Day blackout

Kate Clark •

A debate has opened up on the role of the media during the Afghan presidential elections and its relationship with the Afghan state. It turns out that many journalists did not report or minimised reporting of Taleban attacks on election day – for a mix of political, patriotic and editorial reasons. In the days after, […]

Political Landscape Read more

Elections 2014 (12): The Taleban rant and take a harder line on peace

Borhan Osman •

As well as launching armed attacks on election day, the Taleban also tried to disrupt the elections with a ‘public relations’ campaign against the legitimacy of the vote. Like many others, they also appear to have been thrown off kilter by the large turnout. Their response has been characterised by incoherence and distress, with Taleban statements […]

Political Landscape Read more

Elections 2014 (11): How the Hazaras voted in Bamyan

Qayoom Suroush •

Initial observations appear to show that Dr Abdullah has won the majority of the vote in Bamyan – with Ashraf Ghani so far second by a large margin. Bamyan is important – a province which is generally secure and has a highly motivated electorate. It is also the one province with an overwhelmingly ethnic Hazara […]

Political Landscape Read more

Elections 2014 (10): Paktia – where rain helped the ‘king making’ voters

Pakteen Ibrahimi •

A week after the election, AAN looks at how Paktia province, with the southeastern region’s centre Gardez, fared in the elections and after. Like Kandahar, Paktia returns a mixed picture: a large turnout in the city and some district centres, but far less participation already at the city borders and in other districts. A specific […]

Political Landscape Read more

Elections 2014 (8): Kandahar, a centre-districts divide and the weakening of the tribal factor

Borhan Osman •

Election day has already been praised for the high voter turnout and the relatively peaceful atmosphere it went down in. Pictures from Kandahar, a province perceived as notoriously insecure, surprised many, showing men and women lining up in long queues to vote. A look at the micro-level, however, reveals a more nuanced picture. Borhan Osman, […]

Political Landscape Read more

Afghan Candidates Jockey For Position Ahead Of Expected Second Round

AAN •

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 10 April 2014 Regarding speculations about a power-sharing deal between Afghan presidential candidates before or after a likely second round of elections, AAN's Martine van Bijlert is quoted: Martine van Bijlert, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent research organization in Kabul, notes that all kinds of scenarios are possible. […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Out But Not Down: Afghan Candidates Say They’ll Offer Karzai An Advisory Role

AAN •

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 9 April 2014 Discussing the post-election role of outgoing President Hamed Karzai, "Kate Clark, a senior analyst at Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent research organization in Kabul, says the three front-runners do not want to alienate Karzai. 'Hamid Karzai is by no means a lame duck president, even now,' she says. 'So, regardless […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Afghan election commission to decide which votes to count and which not – political analyst

AAN •

Voice of Russia, 9 April 2014 Transcript of an interview with AAN's Martine van Bijlert on the counting process, election security, observation and the general lack of population data.

AAN in the Media Read more

Elections 2014 (7): An emerging mixed picture

Martine van Bijlert •

It is four days after the election. The country is generally still in a good mood after a poll that went much better than expected. At the same time, a more complete picture is emerging and it is, unsurprisingly, mixed. Alongside a robust genuine and determined vote, there are indications of significant irregularities: old patterns of intimidation, ballot-stuffing, and ‘ghost polling stations’ in […]

Political Landscape Read more

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