As Afghanistan Votes, Will the Taliban Win? - New York Times opinions. With Afghanistan's second-ever presidential election coming on Thursday, the Op-Ed editors asked four Afghans to report on the moods of voters in their communities.
Apathy Among the Educated - Hassina Sherjan
A "fair and transparent election," even if one were possible, would not be enough to set Afghanistan on a path toward stability. Only when democracy is combined with a legitimate process of truth and justice will we achieve peace.
Phantoms at the Polls - Atif B.
Demoralization and despair have reached such a level in my city, Kandahar, this summer that most people tell me they will not participate in Thursday's presidential election. They doubt the transparency of the vote, disbelieving that President Hamid Karzai's corrupt administration will allow another candidate to win.
Waking Up to Terror - Mirwais Ahmaddzai
The "night letters" have been coming for a while now. I saw my first one last week, posted on a door in Kunar Province, on the Pakistani border. But its message was no different than the ones that, according to press reports, have been popping up overnight in most of the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, whether posted on mosques or government buildings, or at busy road intersections, or simply scattered onto streets: do not vote on Thursday, or we will punish you. Signed, the Taliban.
Hopeful in Panjshir - Ahmad Wali Arian
Last Friday I was in the Panjshir Valley, about 50 miles north of Kabul, talking with a dozen of my relatives about their perceptions and expectations of the presidential election. Our discussion was all about the candidates' platforms, promises, teams and abilities. This was a huge change from the last vote, in 2004, when nobody was talking about ideas. That election consisted mostly of ethnic groups and political parties trying to show their strength.
As Afghanistan Votes, Will the Taliban Win? - New York Times