Quote:

---

Voting has ended for the first parliamentary and local elections held in Afghanistan in more than 30 years.
More than 12 million voters had a choice of almost 6,000 candidates. Voting was steady through the day.

Thousands of foreign and Afghan security forces were on high alert after a campaign marred by violence.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:
Is it really a free election though...

" Election authorities did disqualify 32 candidates—commanders who had maintained links to armed factions—but this did not include some of the more senior commanders implicated in past abuses. "

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/09/15/afghan11745.htm


" Many Afghans have been dismayed that warlords blamed for rights abuses have been able to run in the elections. "

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/DA217754-0301-4AF2-BCF3-5815B75
98D9B.htm

Perhaps if the Taliban, the communists, and who ever the hell else wanted to run, could... they would either A) be able to achieve their goals in a peacefull fashion and B) If they lost, they wouldn't be able to draw the popular support needed for a guerilla campaign...


By picking and choosing canidates ( by the amount they support the US I would think ) it makes the concept of democracy as much as a sham as the " elections " in Iraq.

By discluding a segment of the population, you only play into the argument that the foreign puppets have to go... and the fight goes on




Don't think they give a shit

I'm with Signy and Rue

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:
Is it really a free election though...

" Election authorities did disqualify 32 candidates—commanders who had maintained links to armed factions—but this did not include some of the more senior commanders implicated in past abuses. "

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Geezer:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:
Is it really a free election though...

" Election authorities did disqualify 32 candidates—commanders who had maintained links to armed factions—but this did not include some of the more senior commanders implicated in past abuses. "

---

6000 candidates and they disqualified 32? Not too bad, I'd say. And if thay want to elect commanders implicated in past abuses, that's their choice. Funny thing about democracy, the people elect who they want, not who you want.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:
If that is the case, why not let the former Taliban run for office ?

Denying Islamic groups the right to participate in their various political processes is pretty much how this " war on terror " began... and it will simply continue unless the process starts to include everyone.

---

Quote:

---

And former high-level Taliban officials and commanders running for office include: Mohammed Khaksar, the Taliban’s deputy interior minister; Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil, the Taliban’s foreign minister; and Qalamuddin, the minister of the department of vice and virtue, which enforced the Taliban’s severe social restrictions.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:

If that is the case, why not let the former Taliban run for office ?

---