So the Afghans have now voted in their second-ever presidential elections. Well, some of them have. But with the extent of voting unclear, accusations of poll-rigging rife and violence claiming countless innocent lives, it is far too early to call the process a success.
Today, the Elections Commission will likely release preliminary results, with a full tally expected in a month’s time. Wisely, key US and UK officials have been circumspect in their pronouncements. The EU Monitoring Mission has said the election was “mostly good and fair.” But Afghan observers cited “some credible allegations of fraud and mistakes by elections officials.” NDI, the US organisation, said the poll “involved serious flaws that must be addressed in order to build greater confidence in the integrity of future elections.”
So, it’s really too early to tell what really happened on election day.
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