The Struggle For Suffrage In Afghanistan: A Right To Vote Analysis

The right to vote in Afghanistan has been a contentious issue, with the country's history marked by fluctuating voting rights for its citizens. After gaining independence from Britain in 1919, women in Afghanistan earned the right to vote and enjoyed equal rights under the reign of King Amanullah Khan. However, this progressive era was short-lived, as tribal leaders forced Khan out of the country in 1929, reverting Afghanistan to Sharia law and monarchy without voting rights. It wasn't until 1964 that women regained the right to vote and run for office, marking a new era of modern democracy. Despite setbacks and challenges, Afghanistan held democratic elections throughout the 20th century, with the most recent constitution, created in 2004, guaranteeing the right to vote for all citizens above the age of eighteen.

Women's right to vote in Afghanistan

Women in Afghanistan have experienced fluctuations in their right to vote over the years, influenced by the political regime in power. Here is an overview of the evolution of women's right to vote in Afghanistan:

1919-1929: King Amanullah Khan's Reforms

During his reign, King Amanullah Khan introduced progressive reforms aimed at modernising Afghanistan. Women officially gained equality, including the right to vote, under his leadership. This period marked the beginning of women's political participation in the country.

1929-1964: Reversal of Reforms

Tribal leaders forced King Amanullah Khan to flee the country in 1929, and Afghanistan reverted to Sharia law with a monarchy. Women's rights, including the right to vote, were revoked, and this situation persisted for nearly four decades.

1964: A New Constitution and Voting Rights

A new constitution was established, marking the return of democracy to Afghanistan. Women were once again granted the right to vote and encouraged to participate in politics. This period saw an increase in freedoms for all Afghan citizens.

1979: Soviet Occupation

The Soviet Union's invasion and occupation of Afghanistan lasted a decade and disrupted the country's progress. The Soviet occupation was particularly unwelcome in the more rural and mountainous regions, where traditional gender roles were more entrenched.

1996-2001: The First Taliban Rule

The Taliban seized power and imposed an extreme interpretation of Sharia law, which included restrictions on women's rights. Women were barred from various aspects of public life, including voting, education, and employment.

2001: The Fall of the Taliban

Following the September 11 attacks, the United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan, leading to the overthrow of the Taliban regime. This opened the door for the restoration of women's rights.

2004: The New Constitution and Voting Rights Restored

Afghanistan's most recent constitution was created, and women's right to vote was reinstated. Despite this legal victory, many women still faced barriers to voting due to familial and community pressures.

2014: Women's Record Turnout at the Polls

In 2014, Afghan women turned out in record numbers to vote and run for office, despite facing dangers and threats from the Taliban and conservative community members. This marked a significant milestone in their ongoing struggle for equal political representation.

2021-Present: The Taliban Returns Again

With the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan, women's rights, including the right to vote, are once again at risk. The current Taliban regime has imposed severe restrictions on women's participation in public life, and the future of their political rights remains uncertain.

Voter fraud in Afghanistan

Since Afghanistan's first presidential election in 2004, massive election fraud and malpractice have been common. The country's Independent Election Commission (IEC) has neither an accurate count of voters and their places of residence nor any effective controls against multiple registrations. As a result, elections are still subject to ballot stuffing.

In the 2009 presidential election, there were widespread reports of ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud. Voting cards were also sold on the black market, and there were instances of bribes being offered to buy large numbers of votes.

In the 2014 election, the IEC was unable to reliably identify duplicate voter ID cards for deletion. As a result, each subsequent election saw the addition of millions of new names to the voter rolls but no process to remove old or duplicate registrations. After the 2014 registration, the number of voter registration cards issued stood at 23 million. Yet it is estimated that only half of Afghanistan's 30 million people are of voting age, meaning that up to 8 million of the voter cards in circulation are either duplicates or obsolete.

In 2018, the IEC initiated a new, high-tech biometric system that uses fingerprints and digital photos to eliminate duplicate and false voter registration. However, if implementation is rushed, the new system may not work properly, and there is a high risk of catastrophic failure.

The IEC must also conduct extensive consultations with electoral stakeholders to ensure buy-in and acceptance of the new voter registration methodology.

The Taliban's impact on voting

Afghanistan has had a tumultuous history of democratic elections, with the electoral institutions varying due to changes in the political regime. The most recent democratic elections were held under the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which was deposed by the Taliban in August 2021. The Taliban dissolved the Elections Commission in December 2021 and banned all political parties in August 2023.

Intimidation and Violence:

The Taliban has a history of intimidating and violently attacking voters, particularly women, to discourage them from participating in elections. This includes cutting off the fingers of voters, as marked by indelible ink, to prevent multiple voting. These tactics have been effective in suppressing voter turnout, especially in areas controlled by the Taliban.

Disruption of Voting Process:

The Taliban has actively worked to disrupt the voting process by targeting polling stations and election workers. They have carried out attacks on polling centres, resulting in closures and low voter turnout. In some cases, they have set up courts near polling stations to intimidate voters.

Opposition to Democratic Elections:

The Taliban has openly opposed democratic elections in Afghanistan, referring to them as "bogus elections". They have vowed to disrupt the electoral process and targeted candidates, security forces, and schools used as polling stations with threats of violence.

Restriction of Women's Rights:

The Taliban's strict interpretation of Sharia law has resulted in the restriction of women's rights, including their right to vote. Women have faced challenges in registering to vote due to social and cultural norms, as well as direct opposition from the Taliban.

Electoral Commission Dissolvement:

With the Taliban's return to power, the Elections Commission was dissolved, effectively ending the country's electoral process. This has had a significant impact on the organisation and conduct of elections in Afghanistan.

Increase in Voter Apathy:

The Taliban's influence has contributed to a sense of voter apathy, with many Afghans feeling disenchanted with the democratic process due to the lack of security and fear of retribution for participating in elections.

Voting eligibility in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has had a tumultuous history of granting and retracting voting rights for its citizens, particularly women.

History of Voting Rights in Afghanistan

After gaining independence from Britain in 1919, women in Afghanistan earned the right to vote. Under the reign of King Amanullah Khan, Afghan women received equal rights, including the right to vote. Khan also created other reforms for women, such as the Family Code Law, which banned child marriage, and he granted women the right to choose their husbands. During his time in power, Khan created Afghanistan's first constitution, which abolished slavery, created a legislature, guaranteed secular education, and instituted equal rights for men and women.

However, this progressive era was short-lived. In 1929, tribal leaders forced King Amanullah Khan to flee the country and claimed the throne for themselves. They quickly overturned many of Khan's reforms, and Afghanistan returned to Sharia law with a monarchy and no voting rights for anyone for nearly 40 years.

In 1964, a new constitution marked the next era of modern democracy in Afghanistan, and women were once again granted voting rights. Along with the right to vote, women were allowed to run for office. Despite several government coups and changes in power, freedoms for all Afghan citizens, including women's education and voting rights, were increased over the next decade, particularly in the cities.

The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004) outlines the eligibility criteria for voting in the country. According to Article 13, Section 1, every Afghan who meets the following conditions can vote in presidential, parliamentary, and provincial and district assembly elections:

• Has completed eighteen years of age at the time of the election
• Has Afghan citizenship at the time of registration
• Is not deprived of any political and civil rights by an authoritative court
• Is registered on the voters' registration list

The Electoral Law (2004) further emphasizes that elections shall be conducted on the basis of free, secret, universal, and direct ballots, and all voters shall have an equal right to participation.

Challenges to Voting Rights

Despite these legal provisions, Afghanistan's history of democratic elections has been disrupted by frequent changes in political regimes, security concerns, and intimidation of voters, particularly women. The Taliban, warlords, and other insurgent forces have consistently threatened and attacked those who challenge traditional gender roles and advocated for women's rights. Security concerns have led to the suspension of civic education programs and voter registration efforts, especially in rural and conservative areas, impacting women's ability to participate in the electoral process.

Additionally, conservative Pashtun districts have used a "proxy" system to register women voters, which has been susceptible to fraud. The lack of gender-segregated polling places and the intimidation by families and communities have also hindered women's participation in elections.

Voter intimidation in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's first presidential election in 2004 was conducted during a period of great optimism following the fall of the Taliban. However, the voter registration process was hastily arranged, and there was only scant knowledge of the population. This set the stage for subsequent elections to be marred by massive election fraud and malpractice, including voter intimidation.

The country's Independent Election Commission (IEC) has struggled to establish an accurate count of voters and their places of residence, and there have been no effective controls against multiple registrations. Elections have been vulnerable to ballot stuffing, and voter intimidation has been a persistent issue.

In the 2010 parliamentary elections, researchers found substantial evidence of aggregation fraud in favor of politically connected candidates. They also discovered that candidates connected to officials in charge of aggregation received an average of 3.5 fraudulent votes per polling station. Furthermore, voter intimidation and violence have been prevalent, with the Taliban threatening to unleash violence and carry out attacks during elections.

The IEC has recently proposed a new biometric voter registration system that uses fingerprints and digital photos to eliminate duplicate and false registrations. However, for this system to be effective, the IEC must focus on equipment procurement and staff training. There are concerns that if the implementation is rushed, the system may not work properly, leading to a high risk of catastrophic failure.

The head of Afghanistan's IEC, Fazel Ahmad Manawi, has acknowledged the challenges posed by voter intimidation and fraud. He has blacklisted 6,000 workers accused of vote-rigging and taken steps to emphasize the importance of honest elections to poll workers. Despite these efforts, he estimates that up to one in five candidates and their supporters might still engage in cheating or voter intimidation.

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