Afghans Look For Way Forward After First Free Election

{
  "authors": [
    "Sarah Chayes"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "democracy",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "DCG",
  "programs": [
    "Democracy, Conflict, and Governance",
    "South Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "South Asia",
    "Afghanistan"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Democracy"
  ]
}

In The Media

Afghans Look For Way Forward After First Free Election

Despite threats from the Taliban, Afghans flocked to ballot boxes in high numbers.

By Sarah Chayes

Published on Apr 7, 2014

Program

Democracy, Conflict, and Governance

The Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program is a leading source of independent policy research, writing, and outreach on global democracy, conflict, and governance. It analyzes and seeks to improve international efforts to reduce democratic backsliding, mitigate conflict and violence, overcome political polarization, promote gender equality, and advance pro-democratic uses of new technologies.

Learn More

Program

South Asia

The South Asia Program informs policy debates relating to the region’s security, economy, and political development. From strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific to India’s internal dynamics and U.S. engagement with the region, the program offers in-depth, rigorous research and analysis on South Asia’s most critical challenges.

Learn More

Source: WNYC Takeaway

Afghanistan, a nation that has seen war for more than a generation, took the polls over the weekend for the country's first-ever free elections.

Despite threats from the Taliban, Afghans flocked to ballot boxes in high numbers. About 7 million of 12 million eligible voters turned out for the election, according to preliminary estimates.

"We commend the Afghan people, security forces, and elections officials on the turnout for today’s vote," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "These elections are critical to securing Afghanistan’s democratic future, as well as continued international support, and we look to the Afghan electoral bodies to carry out their duties in the coming weeks to adjudicate the results—knowing that the most critical voices on the outcome are those of Afghans themselves."

Though the election was largely peaceful, according to reports, at least 23 people were killed, and several others were injured in attacks by Taliban fighters—though they were fewer than feared. At least 200 polling stations were closed at the last minute because of security threats.

Sarah Chayes, formerly a special adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and now senior associate in the Democracy and Rule of Law Program at the Carnegie Endowment, weighed in on the election, the future relationship between the U.S. and Afghanistan, and the role of the Taliban.

This interview was originally published by WNYC.

About the Author

Sarah Chayes

Former Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Sarah Chayes is internationally recognized for her innovative thinking on corruption and its implications. Her work explores how severe corruption can help prompt such crises as terrorism, revolutions and their violent aftermaths, and environmental degradation.

Recent Work

Commentary
China Financial Markets test
- Sarah Chayes
Paper
Fighting the Hydra: Lessons From Worldwide Protests Against Corruption
- Sarah Chayes

Political Reform Democracy South Asia Afghanistan

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Report
Europe from Scratch: Visions for a New European Order
As the EU confronts profound challenges, several leaders have called for fundamental reform to the union’s model—but only modest, superficial changes have resulted. What if Europe really could be reimagined from zero today: What should such a redesigned European order look like?
Richard Youngs, ed.
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Parliamentary Elections in Occupied Ukraine Risk Backfiring for the Kremlin
Despite unhappiness on the ground, Moscow is determined to use both carrot and stick to ensure there is record support for United Russia in occupied Ukraine.
Konstantin Skorkin
Commentary
Strategic Europe
The Le Pen Verdict: How French Politics Turned MAGA
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen can—and will—run in France’s next presidential election. What does the outcome of her appeal against a 2025 embezzlement conviction mean for the country’s political future?
Catherine Fieschi
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Moldova’s Ruling Party PAS Must Graduate From Crisis Management to State Governance
Whether PAS can refocus on the unfinished business of state-building may ultimately prove more consequential for Moldova’s European future than the pace of its accession negotiations.
Balázs Jarábik
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Snubbed by United Russia as Elections Loom, Medvedev Looks Condemned to Eternal Obscurity
Medvedev’s defeat in the battle for the position of speaker appears to signal that the long process of his marginalization in Russian politics has passed the point of no return.
Andrey Pertsev

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Report

Europe from Scratch: Visions for a New European Order

As the EU confronts profound challenges, several leaders have called for fundamental reform to the union’s model—but only modest, superficial changes have resulted. What if Europe really could be reimagined from zero today: What should such a redesigned European order look like?

Richard Youngs, ed.

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Parliamentary Elections in Occupied Ukraine Risk Backfiring for the Kremlin

Despite unhappiness on the ground, Moscow is determined to use both carrot and stick to ensure there is record support for United Russia in occupied Ukraine.

Konstantin Skorkin

Commentary

Strategic Europe

The Le Pen Verdict: How French Politics Turned MAGA

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen can—and will—run in France’s next presidential election. What does the outcome of her appeal against a 2025 embezzlement conviction mean for the country’s political future?

Catherine Fieschi

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Moldova’s Ruling Party PAS Must Graduate From Crisis Management to State Governance

Whether PAS can refocus on the unfinished business of state-building may ultimately prove more consequential for Moldova’s European future than the pace of its accession negotiations.

Balázs Jarábik

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Snubbed by United Russia as Elections Loom, Medvedev Looks Condemned to Eternal Obscurity

Medvedev’s defeat in the battle for the position of speaker appears to signal that the long process of his marginalization in Russian politics has passed the point of no return.

Andrey Pertsev