Brave Voting in Afghanistan – Wall Street Journal editorial
The voting totals won’t be known for weeks, yet the two leading candidates for Afghan president are both declaring victory. The current occupant, President Ashraf Ghani, last week ruled out a renewed power-sharing deal, such as the one brokered after the disputed 2014 election. His rival, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, warned Thursday about electoral fraud.
As messy as this young democracy can be, Saturday’s election is also a hard reminder of the stakes. Hundreds of polling places could not be opened amid threats of violence by the Taliban. Despite security measures, there were reports of scattered violence and casualties, including a bomb blast in Kandahar, according to the Associated Press.
In the face of such peril, it’s worth dwelling on the bravery of Afghanistan’s security personnel, poll workers and voters…