Afghan Election

Despite threats from the Taliban and sporadic reports of violence, it appears that Afghan people are briskly lining up to vote in many places.

Reports from Jalalabad, Lashkar Gah, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Jowzan province indicate strong voter turnout.

Kabul and Kandahar, however, are under tight security with sporadic attacks keeping people away from the polls. Low turnout reported in Ghazni due to Taliban threats. Turnout nationally could be termed as patchy.


Here's some election-related statistics.

17 million registered voters;
up to 7,000 polling centres;
more than 40 presidential candidates (two female);
3,200 provincial council candidates;
3,000 donkeys transporting voting materials.

Polling station queues are subject to frisking by security personnel with female officials even lifting burkas. A government order for the media to not report election day violence is generally being followed.

The general consensus is that President Hamid Karzai will be reelected, however, he faces strong opposition from Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. Karzai is strong in the Pashtun south and Abdullah is a favorite in the Tajik north.

Officials caution Western observers to view the Afghan election and the nation's road to democracy in the context of "learning to crawl before walking." The U.S. envoy to Afghanistan, Richard Holbrook, said not to expect perfection. A former Pentagon analyst, Anthony Cordesman, emphasized that Afghanistan is not a "functional democracy by Western standards" but the Afghans need to "feel the election was legitimate by their standards."

Results are expected to be announced Saturday.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.