If you’re old enough to vote, you know how easy it is to take that right for granted. On voting day, we have easy access to the polls, and we have live coverage of elections to give us second by second details. There are a lot of campaigns out there that encourage youth to vote. We cannot deny how important it is to voice our opinions to those running our countries. There are opportunities for you to be educated about the policies which candidates represent.
That said, the war in Afghanistan has reached new heights with talk of their recent election. Hamid Karzai was expected to participate in a run off election with his opposition and former foreign minister, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. Abdullah dropped out of the race declaring the current administration is plagued with corruption and committing electoral fraud.
Prior to this election, Afghanistan experienced another failed election in August. Because of Taliban uprising and threats, only a limited of number of people were willing to venture out to participate in the election. There were cries of electoral fraud when Karzai ended up with over 50% of the vote, but despite this, he and his runner up were expected to have a runoff election on November 7, 2009. After Abdullah dropped out, Hamid Karzai was the only remaining candidate and was automatically re-elected.
Foreign involvement has played a large part in how the election in Afghanistan played out. With encouragement from its allies, Afghanistan has decided to press forward without the election. Though Abdullah dropped out of the race leaving only one candidate to vote for, USA and Afghanistan are still acknowledging the election as legitimate. There are members of the international community who questioning the legitimacy of the election “results”. The election cannot considered free and fair if there is corruption. While it would make sense for Afghanistan to investigate and fix these areas, it has been decided the country needs to move forward.But where is the Afghan voice in all this? Reading Afghan news sources likehttp://outlookafghanistan.net/ and http://kabulpress.org/ gives the impression that Afghans are more worried about the country’s security and eradicating corruption than taking Karzai out of power. Limited security prevents citizens from going out to vote. Corruption discourages others from voting because they feel it may not change anything.
Voting is definitely a key part of democracy. The people we put in power may not always live up to their campaign promises, but they decide our policies and they are the leaders of our country. Free and fair elections are a concern for many countries in the developing world. In Afghanistan, the process is proving to be more detrimental than stable. It is hard to hear the people’s voice when there are limited candidates, polls and stability. The next time you have the opportunity to vote, whether for a presidential election or a school council election, make sure you research the candidates and their policies. Head to the polls and voice your opinion!
By Jessie Ampofo
Blog Writer 2009-2010, Change Tomorrow’s World
