Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform (GFN-SSR)

Afghanistan's Election Challenges

 Printable version

Afghanistan's forthcoming elections in August 2009 and 2010 present a formidable challenge if they are to produce widely accepted and credible results. This paper, published by the International Crisis Group, reviews the steps necessary to foster public confidence in the presidential and provincial assembly elections. Pre-election focus must include strengthening security provision and electoral staff capacity and building consensus on how the political system can be made more functional and representative.

Afghanistan’s state institutions suffer from chronic weaknesses; national politics are fractured. These factors, combined with the deteriorating security situation, will make holding meaningful elections much more difficult. Since the 2004-05 elections, the Afghan government and international community have failed to embed a robust electoral framework and drive democratisation at all levels.

The first round of post-Taliban elections five years ago were joint United Nations (UN)-Afghan efforts. This time they will be conducted under the sole stewardship of the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) with the UN acting only in support.

Election preparations face the following intertwined challenges:

• The Afghan government, UN and donors failed to use the interim period since the last elections to build IEC capacity, strengthen the electoral legal framework and produce a sustainable voter registry.
• Failure and delays in wider institutional processes, such as disarmament programmes and judicial and police reform, have increased public disillusionment. This has resulted in a reduced buy-in for the statebuilding agenda, including potential election participation.
• The presidential elections expose a highly centralised political patronage system in which the head of state wields enormous powers, bringing personalities rather than policies to the fore.
• Poor relationships between state branches have rendered a legislature that is ignored or overruled. Its effectiveness is also reduced by the lack of a formal role for political parties.
• Insurgencies, centred mainly in the south and east, may affect the people’s ability to vote in these areas. They also make scrutiny of the electoral process more difficult.
• The failure of disarmament programmes increases the chances of intimidation across the country. Low quality policing makes providing security for elections much more challenging.

Implementation of the following recommendations would help ensure a credible electoral process:

• The IEC should rigorously train staff and enforce election results monitoring. It should sponsor public workshops to increase voter understanding of the process.
• The Afghan government should aggressively respond to any and all interference with the process.
• The National Assembly should construct a comprehensive legal framework for future elections.
• Donors should refrain from tacit or explicit support of individual candidates.
• The UN should act as an election mediator, insist upon the highest election standards and speak out against violations of the process.

Access full text