Diane in Afghanistan

For the First Time in 5000 Years...

2005-09-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

On Sunday September 18th, Afghans went to the poles for the first time in more than 5000 years to vote for members of their new Parliament. Voters cast votes for the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of the National Assembly) and Shoraiy Wolayety (Provincial Councils). The free elections were part of the Bonn agreement signed four years ago following the defeat of the Taliban regime in 2001. Nearly 6,000 candidates completed for 249 seats in the Wolesi Jirga and for the 34 provisional councils. About 25% of the seats were reserved for women. Candidates included medical doctors, teachers, businesspersons as well as former Communists, members of the Taliban and warlords.

As a member of the delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI), I left the hotel at 5:30 am with a tight security detail. The protection was part of the tough security measures instituted all over Iraq in anticipation that Taliban supporters would incite violence in order to disrupt the election. About 40,000 Afghan police and army troops were on duty, backed up by more than 30,000 police from coalition forces and International Security Assistant Forces (ISAF). Fortunately, the tight security worked. The largest incident occurred when a rocket attack was reported soon after polls opened yesterday on a United Nations compound, injuring one local UN worker.

The streets of Karbul were virtually empty until after the polls closed due to the tight security restrictions. As a result there was not the usual traffic jams that clog the streets. Afghans had a day off from work in order to allow them to vote. When we returned to our hotel around 6 pm, the streets were once again filled with residents shopping and kids playing. The attempt to intimidate voters seemed to have no effect. President Hamid Karzai, who voted early in the morning, stated after casting his vote that, "It is a historic day for Afghanis to elect their own representatives.” An interesting part of the elections involved bottles of purple ink that every voter was required to dip his/her finger into before voting. The ink was used as a method to ensure that voters did not vote twice. In last year's parliamentary elections, the ink was easily washed off. Not this time. Voting officials were willing to allow me to dip my finger in the ink. Some critics of the elections tried to persuade the press that the ink washed off. I can assure all of you that it doesn't wear off. I have scrubbed and washed to no avail - it will take time and should still be there when I return to the US.

The ballots took some of the voters a long time to complete. This was due in part, to the fact that the ballots were multi-pages and that (as I noted several days ago) a large portion of the population cannot read or write. Hence the need for a ballot that included the candidate's name, picture and symbol. The ballot for the Wolesi Jirga was blue and the one for the Shoraiy Walayety was yellow. Each ballot had its own specific box, and the election officials were very serious about ensuring that the right colored ballot was placed in its correct voting box.

Every voter needed an identification card before they were allowed to dip their figure into the purple ink. About 11.2 Afghanis of the 18 million who were eligible to vote had election cards. In instances where the voters did not have the identification card, the poll workers refused to let that person vote.

The Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) from the UN managed the election and trained the workers. I can tell you that the workers were enthusiastic about doing the right job and ensuing that the elections were conducted according to law. The nearly 26,000 polls staffed by over 150,000 election officials opened at 6 am and closed at 4 pm. We ended our day at a high school where we watched the election official seal the ballot boxes. The election officials also took care to ensure that unvoted ballots were sealed. Final results of the elections are due October 22nd.

I'm exhausted, but each finger dipped, and every ballot sealed, was yet another step forward for this flegling democracy.

Sincerely for freedom,

Diane

...So Far, So Good For Afghan Vote

2005-09-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long day, and despite scattered violence, the initial reports are positive regarding the integrity of the Afghan elections, and the participation of the country's people.

IRI monitored more than 1,200 polling locations in 16 provinces and has issued the following preliminary findings:

1. Yesterday's elections were well organized with Afghan election workers well trained and professional.

2. The number of domestic monitors and candidate agents and their contribution to the transparency of the elections are a positive sign for Afghanistan's election process.

3. IRI observed reported higher turnout in regions of the country other than Kabul.

4. Voters, who clearly understood their important role in democracy, appeared well informed as to the voting process.

5. Given the understandable decision to not count the ballots at the polling stations, it is extremely important that the security of the ballots be guaranteed and that the vote count be open and transparent.

IRI began working in Afghanistan in 2002. In October 2004, IRI was the only US organization that observed the presidential election. In advance of the September 18 elections. More than 15,000 men and women have been trained by IRI representatives as potential or actual candidates for public office.

...And There are No Provisional Ballots

2005-09-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

For a comprehensive list of news stories related to the Historic Elections being held in Afghanistan Click Here

It's back to visions of fingers in black ink.

We have just finished our first briefing from numerous organizations regarding the elections on Sunday. The Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB), operating under the auspices of the United Nations, is running Sunday's parliamentary elections. The JEMB has 13 members - nine are Afghans and four are members of the international community. These include individuals from Australia, Sweden, Britain and India -- one from each country.

As Americans, we have seen hanging chads and heard about the numerous issues surrounding voter roles and provisional ballots. But here, the JEMB has had to deal with numerous issues that officials would never face during an election in the United States.

For example, nearly 80% of the women and more than 50% of the men are illiterate. As a result, the majority of the population cannot even read a ballot. The JEMB has developed a system that allows for voters to pick their candidates using pictures and symbols. The ballot system uses a picture of each candidate and assigns a "symbol" to that individual candidate. For instance, one candidate's symbol is a donkey; another's symbol is a camel. The JEMB identified about 250 symbols that were easily recognizable by all Afghans. Because there are more than 400 candidates for the Nangarhar province alone, there were not enough symbols to go around. As a result, candidate 1 may have (1) camel as a symbol and candidate 2 has (2) camels as a symbol. It makes for a unique ballot. A copy of the ballot was given to us today and it is over seven pages long. And we thought we had a lot of items on our ballots in Washington State!!!!

To ensure that no one votes twice, each voter will be asked to dip his or her finger into black ink before the ballot is given to that voter. Afghanistan used this system in 2004 for the presidential elections, but unfortunately, the ink did not stay. We have been given guarantees that this year, they are using a better ink. The voters will be instructed to let the ink dry before they mark their ballots.

Voters in Washington State will not be surprised to hear that there will be NO provisional ballots. If a voter turns up at the wrong polling place, the election official will not allow that voter to cast a ballot.

There are more briefings to come, and the excitement is building for Sunday's elections.

Sincerely for freedom,

Diane

30 Minutes From Half-Way Around the World

2005-09-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived in Kabul his afternoon around 3:30 Kabul time. Interestingly, Kabul is 11.5 hours ahead of Seattle - why the half-hour difference instead of the 11 hours like Dubai? No one knows. Some say it is because Afghanistan is in several time zones and they split the difference. India also has the same system, but others say it is because the Afghans wanted to be different. Whatever the reason, I have left my watch on Seattle time then I subtract 30 minutes and change to PM or AM and I easily get Kabul time.

This city is very damaged from the 30 years of war suffered at the hands of the Russians, Afghanistan's communist government, and the Taliban. That having been said, the city is alive -- bustling with activity. There are people everywhere, and businesses operating on every street. It is apparent that these are industrious, and enterprising people, and democracy will bring huge economic change to this country. During the Taliban reign, not only were women required to cover themselves entirely by wearing the burqa, but they could not leave their houses without a male escort. As a result, women were not seen on the streets.

But the world is different now. Women walk along the streets with their children, or even by themselves, or with other women and men. Although many still wear the burqa, at least they are not beaten if they only wear head scarves. I bought a black scarf in Seattle and have been wearing it, as have all the women in the delegation. This is a sign of respect for this country and it's culture.

As far as businesses, I was pleased to see the large number of small businesses operating. Each street seems to have a different retail "theme." For example, one street is filled with rug stores; one street is food vendors; one street consists of stores for car parts; and another street is filed with businesses who sell small tools - like drills, etc. The rugs are amazing -- and I have a "thing" for the color red. And yes, red is the color of choice for all the rugs. The colors are brilliant, the rugs are soft and luxurious, but they won't fit in my carry-on baggage.

Dinner is a much different experience than what we experience in the U.S. You have a choice to sit in chairs, or simply cross your legs and sit on the rugs. I chose the latter, as did most everyone who is with the delegation -- we're an adventurous group.

Kabul is in a desert region and although it is hot in the sun, the shade is cool and the air is clear. At night it cools down, but there are plenty of mosquitoes.

Due to security concerns, there are police with serious weapons everywhere on street corners, at hotels and at some businesses. I do not take this as a sign of chaos. Instead, this is part of the continued need to retain security while remnants of the Taliban seek to disrupt the election on Sunday.

Tomorrow is Friday and that is the day of rest for Muslims. I understand that people generally stay home and don't get in their cars. That is probably a good thing, since the driving over here can get a little rough.

The top three concerns of the citizens of Afghanistan are roads; security and economic opportunity. Sounds similar to the citizens of Washington State, but by comparison, we have excellent roads even with traffic jams.

Everyone, from airport personnel to hotel staff, to election staff has been absolutely wonderful, and I've experienced the true warmth of hospitality.

Sincerely for freedom,

Diane

Huge Field Stumps for Afghan Votes

2005-09-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

I'm currently on the ground in Frankfurt, Germany and waiting for my next flight. While taking a few minutes to check in on e-mail and news, I came across this story on the elections I'm going to be observing. I thought it important that you be aware of the conditions that those running for office in Afghanistan must face. It's a good reminder that there is more than one way for democracy to work and that there are often many unforeseen roadblocks and hurdles which must be overcome to accomplish it. The work isn't easy but the end result is worth it. The title of this article provides a link to the Chicago Tribune article (free registration may be req'd to read).

Sincerely for freedom,

Diane

In Support of Democracy in Afghanistan

2005-09-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

It was Ronald Reagan that initiated the idea that spreading freedom and democracy had a very practical side to it. He believed to his core being, that without democracy, nations could not experience economic prosperity and the cultural vibrancy that only freedom can foster. But like the old adage; "give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. But teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime," the yearnings of peoples around the world to be free, also means providing them with the tools of civic life, and the blueprints to build democratic institutions.

In 1983, Congress created the National Endowment for Democracy to help fund efforts to provide the "building blocks" of democracy in those nations emerging from dictatoriships and oppressive regimes. The International Republican Institute (IRI) is one of four nonprofit groups that provides that vital support and independent election observers.

Tomorrow I leave for Afghanistan as a member of the U.S. delegation sponsored by IRI. It is a nation that has experienced great oppression and tyranny through the Soviet occupation of the 1980's, tribal warfare, and the Taliban regime. But today in Afghanistan -- a mere three-and-one-half years after the U.S. led liberation -- that nation is poised to make history. On September 18, the people of Afghanistan will freely elect a national parliament, and mark the first time in their 5,000-year history, that women can run for elected office. Afghanistan remains a powerful example of success in fighting the war on terrorism. Where once the Taliban provided safe haven and training for the terrorists of the 9-11 attacks, now democracy and individual freedoms are being celebrated and promoted throughout that nation.

I will serve as an election observer, and it is exciting and humbling to witness history on such a scale as this. I hope you will join me, as I share my experiences through this blog site. Many men and women of our military have given their lives to make this day possible for the Afghan people. Please join me in remembering their sacrifice, and pray that the Afghan people will know an enduring peace.

Sincerely for freedom,

Diane