Afghan re-vote: Credibility at last?

last updated 8 January 2015

Weeks of relentless diplomacy by Western statesmen have apparently paid off: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has accepted the need for a November 7 runoff vote to resolve the disputed election. Even so, what are the chances that new polling will lead to a legitimate government in Kabul?

Slim, unless we can win over cynical Afghans: The runoff vote offers Washington and its allies a "last chance to deliver a clear and decisive commitment to the Afghan people," says Tom Goghlan in The Guardian. Even if the vote produces a legitimate government, it must be sustained with persuasive follow-up. "Otherwise, there is no point in being there."

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Decent, if the West micro-manages the next steps: "A fair election is essential," say the editorial writers at The New York Times, but even a fair vote won’t guarantee a credible leader. Washington must develop a political strategy for the country that’s as intensely debated as our military strategy. "The lesson of the stolen election is clear: Nothing in Afghanistan can be taken for granted."

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