Afghanistan presidential elections 2004-2014: The electoral challenges of building democracy in a post-conflict state

Abstract

Since the allied invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, there have been three presidential elections in Afghanistan, with the first democratic hand-over of power happening in 2014. Post-conflict elections have been widely debated by academics, with particular concern over the environment in which they are held and to which they contribute. If the elections are successful in producing a legitimate outcome, they can be used to further stability and nation building. If the elections are unsuccessful, then they risk a return to conflict. The lack of interference in the electoral process by politicians and non-relevant government agencies is one factor that adds to their legitimacy; if such interference occurs, the results are muddied. Legitimacy and unambiguous outcomes are crucial in determining the success of an election. This thesis explores the three Afghanistan presidential elections from 2004-2014 to assess if the elections are helping to enable – in this respect, at least - a post-conflict, democratically viable state. This thesis contributes to the literature on post-conflict democracy building in a measured way, by focusing on the three Afghanistan presidential elections to gauge whether they have been successful and effective in enabling a democratically viable Afghanistan, or at the very least, demonstrate an increasing democratic integrity. The findings present significant challenges to reports that the three presidential elections in Afghanistan bode well for democratic consolidation. They suggest, rather, that these elections have been to a greater or lesser extent rife with fraudulent votes, corrupt candidates and officials, and corruption by representatives of the government such as the Independent Election Commission. The corrosive effects of corruption are not restricted to the presidential elections, but have become an increasing part of everyday life in Afghanistan. What makes the situation worse is that the international community supporting democratization is more inclined for an electoral result to emerge that to highlight the shortcomings of the process. My conclusion is that Afghanistan continues to face major challenges in conducting free and fair elections, and while elections are not the entire picture of democratization, they are its symbolic and genuine centrepiece. As long as this situation continues, democratization will be compromised, perhaps fatally.