As Afghanistan prepares for this Thursday's presidential and provincial council elections, the country faces many severe security and human rights challenges.Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission has invited more than 440 foreign officials to oversee the August 20 elections, hopefully helping to prevent fraud and violence. However, as there are more than 26,000 polling stations and between 15 and 17 million registered voters, this international presence is modest at best. NATO, with the help of Afghan commanders, has fielded more than 300,000 troops to bolster security and ward off terrorist attacks.
A strong emphasis on security is essential due to the constant threat and aggression of the Taliban. While the Taliban's official regime ended in 2001, the Sunni fundamentalist organization continues to hold enormous power in the region. It has pledged to disrupt the elections using suicide bombings and attacks, threatening to kill any voting Afghan. Since Sunday, insurgents have attacked NATO convoys in the capital of Kabul and the southern and eastern provinces, killing dozens of civilians and several US and coalition troops. Today another attack occured in Kabul, when a suicide car bomb killed at least seven people and wounded over 50 more. Much of the violence has resulted from the troops' focus on clearing out the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar in order to enable citizens to vote.
This voting access is a primary concern for Human Rights Watch. "While holding elections is an achievement under the circumstances, questions remain about whether Afghans will really be able to exercise their right to vote," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
The participation of women is a chief issue, due to "cultural obstacles and the risk of attacks against women by the Taliban and other insurgent groups". Security arrangements for both women voters and candidates have been poorly managed, limiting the access of women to the ballot. Another concern is the abundant pre-election violence. In addition to the mounting civilian casualties, electoral officials, candidates, and campaign workers have been abducted, threatened, and killed. In an effort to scare voters and candidates into submission, the Taliban recently threatened to "cut off any finger that is stained with the indelible ink that is used to identify people who have cast their ballots". Human Rights Watch states that "the overall security situation than during the last elections, in 2004-2005", which was the first election since the overthrow of the Taliban. The recent and bloody resurgence of the Taliban has caused much of this instability, along with the turmoil and chaos inflamed by the US War in Afghanistan.
Other problems include the hasty and inefficient creation of armed tribal militias by the government, a biased electoral commission, abuse of government power, unequal media access for candidates, the risk of electoral fraud, and limited voting access for citizens in rural or Taliban-controlled areas. Envoys of donkeys, trucks, and helicopters will deliver ballots to more isolated locations, while international watchdog organizations will aid in election monitoring.
Despite the mounting challenges, many Afghans remain undeterred. As one female voter stated, "It's in our destiny to take our rights. We should not be scared of anyone." NATO maintains that it will ensure the security of "85 to 90 percent of registered voters to access election sites" by Thursday. Millions of Afghan voters are expected to turn out for this monumental election, hoping to change the nation's many problems, including corruption, poverty, illiteracy, gender inequality, and war.
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