Posted on 04/04/2014 8:32:58 PM PDT by kristinn
Voting began on Saturday in Afghanistan's presidential election, which will mark the first democratic transfer of power since the country was tipped into chaos by the fall of the hardline Islamist Taliban regime in 2001.
Taliban insurgents launched a spate of attacks that killed dozens in the run-up to the vote, which they brand as a U.S.-backed sham, but there was no word of violence as voting got under way.
About 12 million are eligible to vote in the election. There are eight candidates contesting, with former foreign ministers Abdullah Abdullah and Almay Rassoul, and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani the favorites.
Hamid Karzai, the incumbent, is not allowed to run for the presidency again by the constitution. But, after 12 years in power, Karzai is widely expected to retain influence through politicians loyal to him.
More than 350,000 Afghan troops have been put on duty to thwart attacks on polling stations and voters. The capital, Kabul, has been sealed off from the rest of the country by rings of roadblocks and checkpoints.
Most people expect the election will be better run than the chaotic 2009 vote that handed Karzai a second term amid massive fraud and ballot stuffing.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
99% of Afghans want Sharia Law. I’m sure they’ll be voting for moderates!
No doubt.
"What'd you say yer name was?"
"Douglas, Oliver Wendell Douglas."
"You sure got a funny name: Mr. Douglas Douglas."
"No, it's not my first name. I was named after Chief Justice Holmes, Oliver Wendell Holmes."
"Whatever you say, but I don't think Holmes Holmes is a whole lot better than Douglas Douglas.
Muslim Version:
"What'd you say yer name was?"
"Abdullah, Abdullah Abdullah."
"You sure got a funny name: Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah."
"If you think that's bad, You should meet my brother, Mullah Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah."
I don’t know if that is true. I heard a report recently from an American just returning from Afghanistan. He said that people are determined to vote and are not letting terrorist Taliban attacks keep them from the polls. He said women were especially taking a role in the election. Last year the national gathering, Loya Jirga (sp?) voted 80% to have some kind of status of forces agreement with us. Can’t wait to see the results of the election.
Three decades of war made Afghanistan one of the world's most dangerous countries. While the international community is rebuilding war-torn Afghanistan, terrorist groups such as the Haqqani Network and Hezbi Islami are actively involved in a nationwide Taliban-led insurgency, which includes hundreds of assassinations and suicide attacks. According to the United Nations, the insurgents were responsible for 80% of civilian casualties in 2011 and 2012.
It suffers from several challenges, including
1. being world's most corrupt country and
2. is the world's largest source of refugees.
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For that to be written makes me stare a bit after living two years in Mexico and five years in Saudi Arabia.
It's just plain sad but only the Afghanis can change it. The change HAS to come from within.
I would guess that, like in so many of the third world sewers, the wealthy are interconnected irrevocably with the military, land, politics and banking.
They have a lock on everything.
Do YOU think they're going to give all that up any day soon? I don't.
Hello gleeaikin. I too await the results though am not thinking much will change and in all actuality can only pray. There is always a prayer to be said. One (a prayer) being said for you and yours and God’s planet. May God’s Will Be Done and not that other character’s.
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