Afghanistan Elections 2004: Women's Participation

Bonn Agreement Calls for Elections by June 2004
Under the Bonn Agreement, a fully representative government must be elected through free and fair elections to be held no later than June 10, 2004. The United States is committed to supporting the Afghan Government and the UN as they seek to meet this ambitious target.

Establishment of Election Commission
Two bodies have been formed to oversee the elections process – the Interim Election Commission, and the Joint Electoral Coordination Office (JECO). On July 26, 2003, the Afghan President issued a decree establishing the Interim Election Commission to register voters and implement other preliminary steps in preparation for the June 2004 elections. The Interim commission has six Afghan members, and will remain in operation until voter registration is complete. The 6 Commission members will form part of the 11-member Joint Electoral Coordination Office (JECO), joined by five U.N. internationals representing UNAMA, UNOPS and UNODP. Of the six Afghan members, two are women. This joint Afghan-United Nations commission was formed to oversee all registration and preliminary electoral preparations.

Security
Security is at the forefront of election concerns as a primary requirement for full participation. The security situation in many parts of the country is tenuous at best, and security concerns will particularly impact women. Security must be provided to protect Afghan and international election workers, to reduce intimidation, and to enhance legitimacy for the outcome of elections. Special steps must be taken to assist women seeking to vote, as cultural custom and security concerns may inhibit many women from leaving their homes to go to the polling places.

How Will the June 2004 Elections be Conducted?
It has not yet been determined what posts the elections will cover, or what the procedures will be. While it is assumed that these will probably be Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the Constitutional Loya Jirga will approve the new constitution, which will determine whether there will be a president, and what kind of parliament Afghanistan will have. Only after this has been determined will it be clear what the elections will cover. Exact voting procedures have yet to be determined, and if the Afghans decide to include in their Constitution a mandated quota for women in the Parliament, as is under consideration, this would affect the voting procedures.

Voter Registration
Afghanistan has an estimated 10.5 million citizens over 18, who should be eligible to vote in the 2004 elections, although the criteria for eligibility have not yet been formally established. On August 14, 2003, representatives of the U.N. and the Afghan Electoral Commission signed the “Voter Registration Project” agreement to start up the voter registration process. The estimated US $75.6 million cost of the project will be covered by a voluntary fund administered by UNDP. There has never been a voter registry in Afghanistan, and the process poses many daunting obstacles, further complicated by the fact that no census exists. Special measures will be required to register women, who in the past were excluded from the political process. Due to the constraints of traditional Afghan culture, this will require separate teams of men and women to register male and female voters -- the UN plans to field 305 registration teams of 12 Afghans each (6 men and 6 women). The plan calls for Afghans to receive a voter registration card that identifies them and their province of residence, though issues such as the difficulties of creating photo ID for fully veiled women are under still discussion.

US Assistance Programs
USAID is funding an 18-month strategy to address the most pressing Democracy and Governance needs in Afghanistan, providing $8.86 million to support elections assistance. This will include grants to IFES and TAF to assist coordination for the elections, and grants to IRI and NDI to help build a politically active citizenry through civic education, focus group research, and training to political parties and civic activists. As this will be Afghanistan’s first election, extensive voter education will be required to inform the population about the importance of elections and the procedures for participating. The concept of voting to select representatives is new for Afghans, and particularly for women. Special programs will target women, educating them on the importance of voting and political participation. Other programs will train women candidates in running a campaign, and train political parties in mobilizing female membership.

Conclusions
The June 2004 elections will be a watershed in the creation of democracy in Afghanistan, marking the first time ever that Afghans select their head of state through competitive elections. It will be a particularly important milestone for Afghan women, who will have an opportunity to vote and establish a political role for women in a representative government that respects international law and conventions.