An (Almost) Victory For Democracy in Afghanistan

September 22, 2014 by Paulitical | Leave a comment

by Joon Lee

Last April, we did a podcast on the Afghani elections, which would mark the

country’s first democratic transfer of power.

Now, after much dispute, controversy and frustration, the results are finally

in. And in a course of events that we certainly didn’t expect, the country will

not have one but rather two national leaders; Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah

Abdullah, who came in first and second, respectively, will share power in a

government system planned in part by Secretary of State John Kerry. Al-

though Ghani is technically president, Abdullah will maintain control of

daily governmental affairs in a role similar to that of a Prime Minister.

This year’s elections were extremely significant, as they marked the first

time in the modern era that power was handed down democratically. If his-

tory has taught us anything, it’s that the sustainable transfer of power from

one ruler to another is key to any functioning democracy. Throughout the

past, we have seen elected officials gain power democratically through an

election but fail to relinquish once their term is over.  Often times, as was

the case in Egpyt years-long “state of emergency”, these officials will then

impose laws that make it hard or next to impossible for a new leader to gain

power. It can be argued, therefore, that a country’s second election is more

important than its first.

In terms of relinquishing power, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai has

bowed out with little conflict, which is a promising sign. The country has not

fallen into disarray, there has been no coup or military takeover.

Unfortunately, there was little improvement in terms of increasing trans-

parency, something we had hoped for when covering the elections back in

April. By all accounts, corruption was still rampant, and officials have not

made the tallies of the race public, which is disheartening. Nevertheless, for

a sophomore election Afghanistan has fared surprisingly soundly.

However, the future of the country’s leadership is still murky, in that

Afghanistan now finds itself under the leadership of two men who histori-

cally have been antagonistic towards one another. Having two such leaders

sharing command might seem like a good idea on paper, but it raises a num-

ber of grave concerns. For one, this runs the risk of creating a gridlocked

government. If Ghani and Abdullah cannot agree on policies bilaterally,

Afghanistan might find itself under a faction-riddled, inefficient government.

In a country with so many pressing issues – like the constant threat of the

Taliban – this is unacceptable. Furthermore, this new power-sharing system

deviates from the election system outlined in the Afghani constitution. This

devalues the power of the Afghan constitution and sets a pretty shaky

precedent for future elections. Under the Afghan constitution, therefore,

this election can be thought of as a semi-success at best. And, as we see in

the political systems of any successful democracy, a firm constitution is piv-

otal for long-term sustainability. Therefore, although the power-sharing

agreement between Ghani and Abdullah was a good short-term fix, its long-

term repercussions are questionable.

On the whole, however, I have to say that the candidates have more com-

mon ground than they do disagreements. They are both pro-West – Ghani

attended Columbia even served on the World Bank – and ran on a platform

of anti-corruption and fundamental change. Therefore, it is expected that

they will usher in an age of rebuilding and recreation for Afghanistan. If

Ghani and Abdullah’s campaign promises are to be believed, Afghanistan

will likely seen an increase in democratic ideals (such as free speech) and

anti-corruption policies under the new regime. The United States can also

expect to have smoother relationships with the nation, as both are much

friendlier towards America than their predecessor, Hamid Karzai. With the

multitude of foreign affairs headaches America is currently experiencing, as

well as mounting threats of ISIL in the Middle East, this is an extremely

welcome change. Ghani’s extensive experience with economic planning –

both as a member of the World Bank and Karzai’s cabinet – is also some-

thing to note. As Afghanistan struggles with a weak, stagnant economy and

a lack of national infrastructure, Ghani’s expertise is a valuable asset.

Most importantly, both Ghani and Abdullah are vocal in their opposition to

the Taliban. For a nation that has suffered long under the grip of the Tal-

iban, this is a very promising sign. Ghani and Abdullah are both proponents

of increasing the Afghan government’s fight against the terrorist organiza-

tion. Currently, as the Taliban continues to gain power, such initiatives are

more important than ever. By fighting the Taliban, Ghani and Abdullah will

also be reinforcing national stability as well as increasing civil rights and

gender equality in Afghanistan.

Needless to say, both Ghani and Abdullah have a myriad of issues to tackle.

The question now is whether they will follow through on their promises and

change and whether their power-sharing partnership can stand the test of

time.

Works Cited

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/opinion/a-shaky-step-forward-in-

afghanistan.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-

top-span-region&region=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-

span-region&_r=0