Boycott threatens Afghanistan's foray into democracy

[seemslikeadream]

Even as enthusiastic Afghans went to the polls, 15 presidential candidates, charging fraud, called for a suspended election.

By Scott Baldauf | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

DEH AFGHANAN, AFGHANISTAN – Polling day begins vigorously in the village of Deh Afghanan. Men push and crowd their way into the polling stations, impatient for their first taste of democracy.
They aren't quite sure how it all works, but that doesn't matter. Polling officials punch holes in their voting cards, paint the men's left thumbnails with indelible ink markers, and go through the same old questions with the patience of Job.

"Take this ballot, and whoever you want to vote for, you just mark the spot next to the picture," says an official.

A young man points to a picture of President Hamid Karzai. "Not here," the official says, "in the voting booth, please."

The giddy enthusiasm that was obvious here and in 4,800 voting centers around the country was a positive first test for democracy in Afghanistan and a welcome sign that this brand new system was being embraced by Afghan citizens. For many Afghans, the greatest relief was that Saturday's elections were largely free of the violence threatened by Taliban fighters and feared by security experts.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1012/p25s04-wosc.html

[jmcgowanjm]

1. I loved Amanpour there to annoint the whole thing

and then the fraud, and then well. no story, ...
she's outta there!