It was 3 a.m. on April 5 when my parents called me from Afghanistan. Their first words were, “We voted today.” I could hear the excitement in their voices and the hope in the way they talked about the election. Just like my family, for many Afghans April 5, 2014 was the biggest day of their lives.
It was the day Afghanistan had been waiting for. On Saturday April 5, 2014, crowds of Afghans stepped out in the cold weather to cast their vote for their favorite candidate. Men and women of all ages were seen at the voting stations. They all came hoping that their vote would make a difference.
After decades of war, Afghanistan has taken its first step toward democracy. Although the country has struggled with terrorism, corruption, and poverty, the Afghans have not given up hope for a peaceful and prosperous country. Despite all the Taliban’s warnings and threats, the Afghans stood strong and fought for their right to vote. The Afghans went to the polls and cast their votes for the candidate whom they thought would save their country. April 5, 2014 marked a new beginning for Afghanistan. It will be a step toward democracy, peace, and stability in the nation after decades of war.
The candidates are Abdullah Abdullah, Zalmai Rassoul, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Abdul Rasoul Sayyaf, Qutbuddin Hilal, Gul Agha Sherzai, Hedayat Amin Arsala, and Mohammad Daoud Sultanzai. Among these eight, three candidates (Abdullah Abdullah, Zalmai Rassoul, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai) are expected to reach a runoff. All three leading candidates have promised to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States government if elected, according to which the U.S. government will leave some troops behind in order to train and help the Afghan military. The new president’s signature on this agreement is essential in bringing democracy to Afghanistan, since it will help ensure a further path to peace in the country.
The election is a significant event in the history of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban for two reasons. First, the election will not only result in having a new president, but also brought Afghanistan together as a nation. The Afghans have left their long-lasting ethnic conflicts behind and have come together to decide on a leader that will bring peace in the nation. It serves as a symbol of hope and freedom for Afghanistan. As Shukria Barakzai (an Afghan lawmaker) said in an interview with CNN, “We are not afraid of the threats. As much as they kill us, we get stronger. As much as they killed our children, our journalists and innocent women, we say no, we will go and vote because we are fed up. We want to see real change, we want to enjoy our democracy.” The Afghans are tired of war and they too want to live in a democratic country peacefully.
Second, the April 5 election is an answer to all the threats posed from the Taliban. It showed that no threat would stop the Afghans from voting for their president. Despite threats from the Taliban, seven million out of twelve million eligible voters went and cast their ballots. The shootings and explosions from the week prior to election did not hinder Afghan enthusiasm; rather, it gave voters a reason to fight back against the Taliban.
This election marks Afghanistan’s first truly democratic election in decades. Unlike the 2009 election, this election is not seen as a fraud and its success was reinforced by the participating of the majority of the eligible population. The Saturday poll was even hailed as a “success” by the current president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai.
Was there violence? Yes, there were some insurgent attacks from the Taliban, but the Afghan military forces prevented most of the attacks from taking place. The intermittent violence will not harm the Afghan democracy, because the Afghans want a democratic government. They want to live in a peaceful country, and they will fight through their challenges in order to bring democracy to the nation. The Afghan military are constantly trying to provide a safer environment for Afghans in every province of the country. The election has created a new path for Afghanistan: a brighter future for the upcoming generations.
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