Simon Shercliff

First Secretary Foreign Security and Policy Washington

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Wednesday 19 August, 2009

Looking forward in Afghanistan

Nearly there now - the Afghan Presidential and Provincial Council elections happen on Thursday this week. Plenty has been said and written about them already, so I will not add much more here. Suffice to say that President Obama has often described these elections as "the most important event in Afghanistan this year". They are hugely important, for us all - elections that are perceived by the Afghan people as credible, inclusive and secure will provide momentum to the task that we are all engaged in: helping Afghanistan stand on its own as a self-confident, robust state which can repel the likes of Al Qaida from ever again taking root in their country. In spite of the mood of intimidation which the Taliban are trying desprately to forge (including those two terrible suicide attacks in Kabul over the last couple of days), I hope that the Afghan people will participate wholeheartedly, and with optimism that these elections will help them along their difficult path.
 
In addressing the ongoing insurgency and forthcoming elections, David Miliband wrote Monday in the Daily Telegraph that "whether military breakthroughs are translated into strategic success depends on politics". Essentially this means that  "only legitimate, clean and competent Afghan government, recognising local tribal structures as well as national democratic ones, can provide an alternative focus for loyalty [for the Afghan people]. Effective protection and a better life is the best way to keep the insurgency at bay". And once the elections are over, that "there are three priorities for the new government if it is to defeat the insurgency and build a more stable and prosperous state". These are: 

 

  • a clear determination to protect the interests of ordinary Afghans - this means better governance. 
  • a strategy to reconcile and reintegrate insurgents prepared to give up violence.
  • better cooperation with Afghanistan's neighbours, particularly Pakistan.

 

He concludes that "the next Afghan government has a duty to show its determination to root out corruption, the dedication to build a state that properly protects its people and the vision to build an inclusive political settlement. In that work they deserve strong international support. Britain's job is to be part of that effort".
 
Readers might like to link through to this new site just published by the British Government's Afghan unit in London. It pulls together all of our relevant material on the forthcoming Afghan elections, plus further links to other interesting articles, including a blog by Lisa Bandari, one of my political officer colleagues out in the British Embassy in Kabul, who has been following the elections build-up closely for several months.

Posted at 09:33 19 August 2009 by Simon Shercliff  |  Comments[0]

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Friday 07 August, 2009

Afghanistan elections

Guest post by Richard O'Hara. Richard is a Second Secretary, Political, at the British Embassy in Washington, focussing on Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has been in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 2004, and was posted to Afghanistan during 2007 and 2008. Most recently, Richard was on secondment to the US Department of State for nine months, working on their Afghanistan Desk.

All Afghan-watchers know that on 20 August, Afghans take to the polls to vote for their next President. On 5 August, British Ambassador to Afghanistan Mark Sedwill gave a briefing to the media about the build up to the elections. The UK, and the wider international community, has been focusing on helping create a level playfield for all the candidates, and assisting the Afghans to ensure that these elections are credible, secure and inclusive. These elections are an opportunity for Afghans to choose their next leadership. They also represent a chance to reflect on the last eight years in Afghanistan, and to look ahead to the future. After the 2004 Presidential elections, then the 2005 Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections, these are the third national-scale elections in Afghanistan since 2001 and, for the first time, the elections will be run by the Afghans themselves.

41 Afghans registered to run in the presidential election and although a few have dropped out along the campaign trail, it remains a packed field. The main figures are well known, but apart from Karzai, Abdullah and Ghani, the others include a healthy and diverse mixture of Members of Parliament, ex-Cabinet Ministers, businessmen and even former members of the Taliban. Campaign rallies have been seen across the country, walls and billboards have been festooned with colourful candidate posters, and many candidates have participated in radio and TV debates.

But conducting these elections will be a challenge. History has shown us that the second set of elections in post-conflict countries are often the most difficult, and violence has increased in Afghanistan since the last elections in 2004 and 2005. Efforts by Afghan and International forces have focused on providing sufficient security to enable as many Afghans as possible to cast their vote. The recent increase in fighting in Helmand has, in great part, been about giving more of the local population the opportunity to access polling stations safely (up to 30% more of the Helmand population are now free from Taliban control than was the case two months ago). Yes these elections will look rather different from what we saw here in 2008, but this is democracy in the Afghan context - and that is something we should all support. No-one can argue against our strong, collective desire to allow ordinary Afghans a say in the way their affairs are run.

Posted at 15:53 07 August 2009 by Simon Shercliff  |  Comments[0]

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