A peaceful outcome to Afghanistan’s presidential elections has grown increasingly unlikely. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, one of two principal presidential candidates, has issued a series of demands that, should they not be met, will lead to Abdullah’s Reform and Unanimity party abandoning the audit of the vote. The main complaints seem to stem from the manner…
A group of Afghan government officials have vowed to take control of the government if the election impasse is not resolved within the month. According to the NY Times, the officials have condemned the inability of presidential candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, calling on them to make compromises in order to end the crisis.…
Attah Mohammed Noor, one of Abdullah’s leading allies and a divisive figure in the Afghan political scene, has warned of an impending “civil uprising” should the results of the ongoing recount of votes cast in Afghanistan’s elections go against Abdullah. Noor, who has previously acted as governor of the influential northern province of Balkh and…
Ashraf Ghani said yesterday that because the recount deadline is slipping, he is unsure that there will be an obligation for the winner of the election to fully share power with the loser. This refers to an agreement brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry to both recount the vote and diffuse tensions between…
The Asian Development Bank’s efforts to finance and see to fruition a highway connecting northern Afghan cities Mazar-i-Sharif and Hairatan have been recognized by the US Department of Treasury for significantly improving transportation networks within Afghanistan. The rail line, though relatively short at just 75 km, will nonetheless greatly expand Afghanistan’s own transportation capabilities, and…
US Major General Harold Greene was shot and killed in an insider attack yesterday morning in Kabul. The attack occurred at Marshal Fahim National Defense University, despite earlier reports that the shooting had happened at Camp Qargha. The attack was carried out by a shooter wearing an Afghan military uniform, and the Taliban claimed responsibility…
The looming deadline of American-led international coalition forces has noticeably emboldened the Taliban. Over the weekend Taliban fighters spread throughout Afghanistan launched offenses that were centered not only on areas known for their Taliban presence such as Kandahar, but also in areas surrounding Kabul and near Herat, in Afghanistan’s West, and regions near the Durand…
Just 10 days after an agreement was reached to perform a full audit of Afghan ballots cast in the runoff election last month, Abdullah Abduallh walked out for a third time, claiming that audit criteria was not being adhered to. The main issue of dispute is deciding how to handle ballots from polling stations that…
In July, we sat down with Dr. Thomas Barfield, currently a Professor in Boston University’s Department of Anthropology, with research primarily focused on political development in Afghanistan. He is the author of several books, the most recent of which is Afghanistan: A Political and Cultural History. Currently President of the American Institute for Afghanistan Studies, Dr.…
A rigorous audit of all votes cast in Afghanistan’s recent presidential elections has resumed following a 48 hour suspension due to irregularities in certain Afghan electoral organizations and a disagreement in certain technical aspects of the audit. The differences have at least ostensibly been resolved, and the nearly 200 teams of auditors have resumed their…
STEPPE DISPATCHES 