Afghans show huge strides election day
By Spc. Jon H. Arguello
September 21, 2005
QALAT, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Sept. 21, 2005) – As Afghans in Zabul Province await the results of their historic first parliamentary elections, Coalition officials reflect on the strides authorities in Southern Afghanistan have made since Task Force Bayonet arrived in March.
During the days preceding the Sept. 18 elections, Coalition forces in Zabul were tense as they prepared to deal with insurgent attempts to undermine the government’s progress and hinder the elections process. Coalition forces quickly realized, however, that the province’s governmental agencies have leaped forward in terms of security and assuming responsibility.
“The elections really went well from my perspective,” said Charles Wintermeyer, a credentialed elections observer for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, and U.S. State Department official permanently stationed in the Qalat PRT . “All elections officials I observed were professional and conscientious and took pride in doing a good job in an important event.”
Not only did the Afghan election officials leave little room for criticism, Zabul province’s security agencies, including the Afghan National Army and Police, performed beyond expectations in an impressive show of force as they kept insurgents at bay, Coalition officials said. They said Afghan forces seemed to secure the entire region, dotting the province with strategic checkpoints and security stations.
“We have secured the city and provided the people with a safe environment to vote in,” said Col. Habib Khan, Zabul’s anti-terrorism chief. “The enemy has had no effect on the elections and the day has been a big success. The enemy was unable to disrupt our democratic process.”
The effectiveness of the security agencies was obvious in Zabul, once known as a safe haven for Taliban insurgents. It seemed to be void of their presence on election day.
Long lines at polling sites
Afghans in line waiting to vote seemed eager and anxious for their turn as those who had already cast their ballot and contributed to the future of Afghanistan waited for friends outside, showing off their purple index fingers demonstrating that they had participated in Afghanistan’s first parliamentary elections. The lines were long and were demographically diverse with men young and old who waited for long periods of time to have a say in the future of their country.
“We are very proud,” said ANP Maj. Matin, of the criminal investigation department, who goes by one name. “Not only because we have defeated the Taliban today and provided security, but because we have demonstrated we are a true democracy. I am very proud.”
U.S. troops keep low profile
Although U.S. forces kept a low profile during the historic event, they received praise from Khan for helping them reach this milestone.
“It is because of [Americans] that we were able to achieve this today,” said Khan. “It is with their help that we got to this point and it will be because of our continued partnership that we will move forward to the day when we will achieve ultimate success.”
As the polls closed and the Afghan authorities transported the ballots to the counting station in Qalat, the anxiety about insurgent activity had transformed into anxiousness as the Afghan people wait for the results of their historic first parliamentary elections.
Elections represent democracy for people
“The elections went very well,” said Jeton Ujkani, the United Nation’s count manager for the province. “The whole world knows they have held democratic elections.”
For many Afghans the elections represent more than a change of government.
“Today we have democracy,” said Rahmatullah, an Afghanistan National Army pilot who flew ballots from remote voting stations to the provincial counting center in Qalat. “With these elections we have stepped through a door that will lead us to the future.”
(Editor's note: Spc. Jon Arguello writes for Combined Joint Task Force-76 in Afghanistan.)
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