Source:

Mazar: students and public servants were ordered to turn out to greet presidential candidate Mohammad Younis Qanuni on his campaign visit, Autor: British Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) [ID 362]

11.10.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

At least 2 people injured in rocket attacks on number of urban centres; election observers allegedly pressured voters in presidential election ("Elections Close Not With a Bang, But a Whimper") [#26364],  [ID 358]

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11.10.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Kabul: 6 people arrested for intimidating people to vote for particular candidate; number of people trying to launch attacks against polling stations in various parts of country, arrested ("Focus on presidential poll") [#26338],  [ID 359]

Document(s): Open document

10.10.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

According to international election observers presidential election was generally fair despite some irregularities ("Afghan election fair, say observers (DPA)") [#26369],  [ID 360]

"Afghanistan's first ever democratic presidential election was generally fair despite some irregularities, international observers said Sunday as vote counting got under way.
Demands by rivals to interim President Hamid Karzai that the vote be nullified were "unjustified'', said Robert Barry, head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring team.
This was echoed by the Afghanistan monitoring panel FEMA, which said its observers found "a generally democratic environment in a majority of polling stations''.

Fourteen of the opposition candidates retreated Sunday from their earlier demand that the election be reheld.

Instead they called for an independent commission, which would include the participation of their representatives, to examine irregularities in the election process, spokesman for the group and candidate Abdul Satar Sirat said in Kabul Sunday.

The investigation would have to be carried out before the election results are officially declared, he said.

On Saturday 15 of the 18 candidates had demanded the vote be held again because of irregularities, including allegations that indelible ink painted onto the fingers of voters so they could not vote again could easily be washed off.

The opposition complaints prompted the Afghan election authority to announce Saturday evening that an independent commission would be set up to look into the results with candidates invited to participate.
[...]
Around 70,000 international and Afghan soldiers were drafted in to ensure the elections proceeded smoothly. Although fears of widespread violence on election day were not borne out, polling centres in eastern, western and southern Afghanistan came under attack from rockets and gunfire, injuring four people.

The Taliban militia had threatened to sabotage the elections, which are the first since their radical Islamic regime was overthrown by the U.S.-led coalition forces in late 2001.

Taliban insurgents attacked a vehicle carrying ballot boxes Saturday evening in southwestern Uruzgan province, killing three security guards and wounding two others, a senior election official said on Sunday.

The U.S.-backed Karzai, a member of the country's Pashtoon ethnic group, is considered the favourite to win. Afghan election officials said they hoped to be able to declare a winner by October 30."

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09.10.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

4 Pakistanis casting their votes in polling station, detained ("Karzai's opponents terms Afghan presidential polls illegitimate (Xinhua)") [#26344],  [ID 361]

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06.10.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Ghazni and other provinces: traditional rules of keeping women isolated from public events might be the main reason for lack of women's participation in presidential elections ("Security concerns and ignorance in the run-up to the election") [#26139],  [ID 363]

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05.10.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Rural inhabitants face lack of information about first ever direct presidential elections ("Rural Afghans lack awareness on elections") [#26138],  [ID 364]

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04.10.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

41.3 % of 10.5 million people registered to vote in presidential elections are women; it is estimated that 80% of them can freely vote and the remaining 20 % may not because of pressure from their families ("Election a Milestone for Women") [#26171],  [ID 365]

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04.10.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

In some provinces journalists are being threatened by political factions linked to some of the presidental candidates ("Candidates Fail to Exploit Power of Radio") [#26170],  [ID 366]

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30.09.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

There are concerns about possible intimidation by local commanders during next month's presidential elections ("Voters concerned about intimidation - survey") [#25983],  [ID 367]

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29.09.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Elections for lower house of parliament postponed until spring 2005 ("Comment: Elections a Learning Experience") [#25940],  [ID 368]

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21.09.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

There are concerns that presidential and parliamentary elections in September would not be free or fair ("Stakes High in Elections") [#25707],  [ID 369]

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06.09.2004 - Source: BBC News

Afghanistan's October presidential elections are threatened by insecurity and intimidation ("Monitors sound Afghan poll alert") [#25361],  [ID 370]

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19.08.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Afghan President Hamid Karzai rejected the call for his resignation from his 16 challengers, insisting that Afghanistan's law allows him to stay until the new President is elected ("Afghan president refuses to step down before election (Xinhua)") [#24826],  [ID 371]

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18.08.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Several candidates in presidential election distanced themselves from a group of Hamid Karzai's rivals who called on the president to step down and threatened to boycott the vote ("Afghan presidential candidates play down threat of vote boycott (AFP)") [#24888],  [ID 372]

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18.08.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's 17 rivals in the presidential race threatened to boycott landmark October 9 polls unless he stepped down before the elections ("Karzai's 17 rivals threaten boycott of Afghan election (AFP)") [#24825],  [ID 373]

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03.08.2004 - Source: BBC News

On 9 October, Afghans are due to choose their first democratically elected leader ("Candidates line up to tackle Karzai") [#24454],  [ID 374]

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23.07.2004 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

NATO will deploy Spanish and Italian troops as quick reaction force and operational reserve force to bolster security for Afghanistan's 9 October 2004 presidential elections ("NATO To Provide Troops For Afghan Election") [#24226],  [ID 375]

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09.07.2004 - Source: BBC News

Presidential elections are to be held in Afghanistan on 9 October, parliamentary elections are to be held separately next spring ("Date set for landmark Afghan vote") [#23901],  [ID 376]

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06.07.2004 - Source: BBC News

Afghan presidential and parliamentary elections will not be held at the same time ("Afghanistan splits election dates") [#23867],  [ID 377]

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02.07.2004 - Source: BBC News

Elections due for September face further delays because of differences over the timing of the poll ("Afghan vote 'faces further delay'") [#23789],  [ID 378]

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21.06.2004 - Source: BBC News

The UN has called for more Nato troops to guarantee security at forthcoming elections after an attack on a voter registration office ("UN calls for Afghan poll back-up") [#23437],  [ID 379]

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04.06.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Voter registration for elections in September being badly behind schedule in northern Afghanistan, elections may have to be postponed again ("Voter Registration Lags in North") [#23063],  [ID 380]

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30.03.2004 - Source: International Crisis Group

Preparations for elections lagging behind ("Elections and security in Afghanistan") [#20875],  [ID 381]

"[...]President Hamid Karzai has yet to issue either a draft electoral law or a presidential decree on the provincial and district boundaries that would form electoral constituencies. The registration of political parties has proceeded very slowly, in part due to a cumbersome structure for registration that involves screening by six different government departments or ministries, but also due to political pressure exerted by fundamentalist leaders. Only about 1.5 million voters out of an estimated potential electorate of 10 million have been registered, and those unevenly. Registration is markedly lower in the south and southeast in both absolute numbers and the proportion of women. There is a real risk that elections under present conditions will merely confirm an undemocratic and unstable status quo. To avoid this, the international community needs to make serious efforts over the next few months to invigorate the disarmament and reintegration process, guarantee the independence and impartiality of electoral institutions, and ensure that Afghan authorities create opportunities for nonmilitarised political parties and independent candidates to participate meaningfully in the electoral process.[...]"

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19.03.2004 - Source: UN General Assembly

Timetable for elections under Bonn agreement debated ("The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security A/58/742–S/2004/230") [#20724],  [ID 382]

"[...] Under the Bonn Agreement, elections were to be held two years after the convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga, namely on 11 June 2004. While the simpler process of presidential elections is deemed to be feasible in June or early July, parliamentary elections cannot be held so soon. Two basic options are therefore open: a presidential election within the Bonn time frame and a parliamentary election later this year or next year; or simultaneous elections held outside the Bonn time frame. The advantages and disadvantages of these options are being debated and it is hoped that a consensus will be achieved before the Berlin conference to be held on 31 March and 1 April. In considering the options the foremost concern must be that the Afghan peace process is moved forward rather than put at risk of being destabilized. Therefore the necessary preconditions for elections must be in place. [...]"

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Open document

18.02.2004 - Source: UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan

Arrangements for transitional period elections pursuant to article 159 of constitution ("Decree: President of the Islamic Transitional State of Afghanistan on arrangements for holding elections during the transitional period") [#21559],  [ID 383]

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08.01.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

UN says voter registration in Afghanistan insufficient to allow for June elections (UN News Service) ("UN says voter registration in Afghanistan insufficient to allow for June elections (UN News Service)") [#18623],  [ID 384]

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03.12.2003 - Source: UN General Assembly

Election process ("Report of the Secretary General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (A/58/616)") [#18064],  [ID 385]

"11. The Bonn Agreement calls for elections to be held in June 2004 and for the United Nations to conduct a voter registration exercise prior to those elections. Given the long years of war and strife which all but destroyed the State, the legal and institutional structure had to be created ex nihilo. The Transitional Administration accordingly appointed a six-member Interim Afghan Electoral Commission on 26 July 2003. The Commission has begun working with UNAMA to prepare for the initiation of the voter registration project. The Joint Electoral Management Body, also established on 26 July, will oversee the voter registration process, including the issuance of regulations and guidelines, provisional registration of parties and final certification of the voter registry. The Joint Electoral Management Body is composed of the six interim electoral commissioners and five international electoral experts, including the head of the UNAMA Electoral Unit.
12. In August 2003 the United Nations and the Afghan Government presented to donors a budget of $78 million for the conduct of the voter registration project. This budget, which must be met by voluntary contributions, remains underfunded by more than 50 per cent. As of early December 2003, $47 million had been either pledged or committed. Delays in funding added to a number of other logistical, cultural, geographical and political complexities. As a result, the initiation of the voter registration project was delayed from 15 October to 1 December. Security concerns following the placement of a car bomb outside the UNAMA electoral office in Kandahar in November 2003 forced a reduction in the number of teams that were to be deployed on 1 December. Under the revised plan, registration teams will deploy in each of the eight regional centres in Afghanistan, though initially voter registration will take place mostly at sites where provincial elections for the Constitutional Loya Jirga are being conducted under tight security.
13. Depending on financial and security conditions, additional registration teams will be deployed in three separate phases. The first phase will cover the regional centres with about 70 teams. The second phase will add a further 79 teams and will spread to provincial capitals. The third phase will add approximately 150 more teams, some of which will be mobile and will be deployed to remote rural areas.
14. A complementary $9 million registration security project has also been designed and presented to donors. The project will support the training and deployment of Afghan police alongside registration teams. This project, which is to be financed through the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan, is fully funded."

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01.11.2003 - Source: Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit

Briefing paper on the upcoming June 2004 elections mandated by the Bonn Agreement ("Afghan Elections: The Great Gamble") [#17758],  [ID 387]

"Only seven months remain until elections are to be held in Afghanistan as mandated by the Bonn Agreement. In preparation for the June elections, the transitional government and the United Nations are working hard to pass the necessary electoral laws, organise the massive voter registration campaign and raise funds from donors to cover the estimated US$130 million price tag. But while considerable time and energy have gone into planning the logistics of holding the elections within the Bonn timeframe, more attention needs to be devoted to assessing whether elections will help or hinder the achievement of the Agreement’s overall objectives. For Bonn will not be judged a success merely on its ability to adhere to a timeframe, but on whether it achieves its overall objectives “to end the tragic conflict in Afghanistan and promote national reconciliation, lasting peace, stability and respect for human rights in the country.” Elections for What? The purpose of this AREU briefing paper is to challenge policy makers to consider whether elections will help or hinder the achievement of the Bonn Agreement’s overall objectives by analysing the following questions:"

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01.11.2003 - Source: Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit

Free and fair elections in Afghanistan in June 2004 will mark the final milestone of the Bonn Agreement ("Afghan Elections: The Great Gamble") [#17758],  [ID 388]

"Holding free and fair elections in Afghanistan in June 2004 will mark the final milestone of the Bonn Agreement. Negotiated and signed in December 2001 the agreement acknowledges “the right of the people of Afghanistan to freely determine their own political future in accordance with the principles of Islam, democracy, pluralism and social justice,” and establishes that “the Transitional Authority is to lead Afghanistan until a fully representative government can be elected through free and fair elections, which are to be held no later than two years after the date of the convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga.”
If the Bonn Agreement were simply a checklist, it would be very nearly achieved: a June 2002 Emergency Loya Jirga (ELJ) ushered in a transitional government, a Constitutional Loya Jirga (CLJ) will convene in mid-December to discuss a new constitution and independent commissions for judicial, civil service and human rights reform are up and running (see box). In anticipation of the June election, the Karzai Administration has convened an interim electoral body and decreed political parties’ legislation into law, while UN voter registration teams are being hired and outfitted and plan to begin registering voters in eight major urban centres on 1 December (see box of developments to date).
However, if Bonn is to be assessed on the achievement of its objectives, it would not be so easy to claim success. Insecurity reigns throughout the country and the disarmament of warlords and militias in Kabul and elsewhere has been impeded by internal and external politics. The reform of rule of law institutions – while underway – is slow, the central government remains weak and political power is diffused among local fiefdoms. Key reconstruction projects, particularly in the southern and south-eastern Pashtun belt, have been put on hold for lack of security and money, and Afghans are becoming increasingly disillusioned with their government and the international community for not delivering on their promises.
As the final milestone of the Bonn Agreement, national elections have the potential to become a watershed event: the international community has an opportunity to help Afghanistan take an important step toward a peaceful and democratic state; Afghan policy makers have the chance to reestablish government legitimacy; and the Afghan people have the possibility of electing a representative government that has their own interests in mind. Holding national elections before key conditions are met, however, could just as easily erase two years of progress and investment and pitch the country backward toward conflict. Before the government and the international community gamble on Afghanistan’s future with elections, they must ask themselves whether they are squandering an important opportunity to build a viable and peaceful state."

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11.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Report on security situation (assassinations of aid and reconstruction workers), scheduled elections in 2004; UN Security Council delegation visits Afghanistan and UNHCR calls on asylum countries to defer returns of Afghans ("BAAG Afghanistan Monthly Review; November 2003"), Autor: British Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) [#18299],  [ID 386]

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