Afghan presidential election: a thorny path

But developments prior to the election have threatened the success of any power transfer in Afghanistan. Prior to the election, a spate of terrorist attacks occurred. The difference in voter support among candidates is small and may lead to inclusive results.

Taliban says it will sabotage the election

One month prior to the election, the Taliban in Afghanistan announced its intention to sabotage this event. It called on its members to paralyze the election by all means. The dangerous appeal was posted on the internet. Taliban members will target key people involved in the election, including election officials, voters, and members of the security force.

Taliban fighters attacked Afghanistan's election commission headquarter on Mar 29, 2014 (Photo:Reuters)

Following the appeal, a series of bloody attacks were carried out despite the fact that hundreds of government security troops were put on high alert. On March 25, a gunman attacked a polling station in Darulaman, west of Kabul. Three days later, 5 Taliban gunmen attacked a hotel in Kabul where many foreigners were staying.

On March 29, Taliban fighters attacked the Kabul headquarters of Afghanistan's independent election commission (IEC). The Kabul airport had to close down because of the escalating violence.

US President Barack Obama told Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the US and NATO have no option but to withdraw troops late this year.

Political observers are speculating that the Taliban will take advantage of the chaotic situation on election day to seize power. It’s not a groundless worry because the Afghan security force is poorly equipped and organized and is no match for the Taliban.

Although the Taliban took responsibility for the recent attacks, the Afghan government has insisted that foreign agents caused violence.

No outstanding candidate

The race among the 10 presidential candidates has entered the final stage. The most prominent candidate is Abdullah Abdullah, former senior member of the Northern Alliance Party. He is the sole candidate to confidently announce he will win in the first round.  

Experts say that in order to win, Abdullah must show himself to be an advocate of peace and reconciliation with the Taliban. 

Another promising candidate is Ashraf Ghani, a well-respected economist and former Finance Minister in the government of President Kazai from 2002 to 2004. He stood for the presidential election in 2009.

Another important candidate is Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, the man said to be responsible for bringing al Qaeda to Afghanistan. He helped Bin Laden return to Afghanistan after Bin Laden was expelled from Sudan. The former Islamist warlord has a conservative view on women’s rights and social freedom.

Whoever wins the presidential election will have to deal with the Afghan army’s low morale, the Taliban’s desire to regain power, and an economic recession.