Liechtenstein Institue on Self-Determination: Afghanistan: Her
Elections and Future
Remarks by Ambassador Said T. Jawad
Princeton University
10/21/2004
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank Dr. Wolfgang Danspeckgruber
and the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination for organizing
this event, and for their continued support for Afghanistan.
I am honored to be back among friends here at
Princeton University, and join a panel of distinguished gentlemen
at tonight’s discussion, my friend, Ambassador Robert
Finn, Ambassador Michael Schmunk and Ambassador Mufid Ozdes.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Afghanistan’s first presidential election
was an historic achievement with phenomenal scenes that Afghans
will cherish for years to come. Let me share some snapshots
of these great moments of our modern history.
An 80-year old woman, blind and frail, arriving
at a polling station in Kabul with her grandson said, “I
did not sleep a wink last night. Several times I woke up my
grandson, worrying about the break of daylight and missing the
chance to vote.”
A bride, in her wedding gown, got out of a vehicle
and stood in a long line of women waiting to cast their vote.
In many villages, people showed up at polling
stations, in their finest clothes, as if they were participating
in a religious or a national festival.
In Kunar, a rocket landed two hundred yards away
from a long line of women waiting to vote. No one ran way. They
insisted they would remain in line. One woman said, “If
we run away from the terrorists, the rockets will continue to
come. We want to stay here and vote because this is the only
way to stop these terrorists’ attacks forever.”
A 50-year old Afghan told a worker at a polling
station in Kandahar: “Twenty five years of misery have
broken my back. Today I feel like I am reborn.”
This was Afghanistan on Election Day, barely three
years after defeating the Taliban. Afghans proved that 30 years
of misery have strengthened their determination to build a peaceful,
prosperous and democratic Afghanistan.
The election was free of violence, fair and credible.
The threat of a large scale terrorist attack, the fear of intimidation
by warlords, and the speculation of “deal-making”
by the President never materialized.
While Afghans and 26,000 international forces
were ready to counter major attacks by terrorists, the biggest
challenge came down to a technical mix-up of using the wrong
markers in a few polling stations, which is being fully investigated
on by an independent commission.
The 15,000 troops of the Afghan National Army,
the 20,000 Afghan police force, trained by the United States
and Germany, and the 26,000 coalition and ISAF forces deserve
special recognition for providing a secure environment for the
election. In the weeks leading to Election Day, they seized
60 bombs and explosive devices and arrested 12 terrorists.
But the real credit goes to the Afghan people
who cast their votes despite the threats. This process would
not have been successful without their participation and vigilance.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
When 8.4 million Muslims, Afghan men and women,
proudly and patiently lined up to vote, they not only demonstrated
their courage, competence, and commitment to democracy, but
also their determination to stand on their own feet as soon
as possible.
The election proved that the partnership of the
international community with Afghanistan yielded significant
results for democracy and global security.
This is a shared achievement by Afghans, the United States and
over 45 countries contributing troops, funds and resources to
help stabilize and rebuild our country. We are grateful to every
one of them.
Afghans and our partners in the international
community have much to be proud of on that day for taking Afghanistan
a long way forward in three short years.
The successful partnership with the international community
enabled us to introduce a new currency, adopt a very progressive
constitution, draft new investment and banking laws, attract
foreign banks and foreign direct investment, revive the private
sector, provide education for more then 5.6 million boys and
girls, remove political censorship from the media, and connect
the country by building roads and telecommunication systems.
Commerce and trade through Afghanistan have increased,
enhancing movement of goods along the historic Silk Road in
Asia. Over the past three years, most Afghans have experienced
a significant improvement in their living conditions. 86% of
Afghans think that they are better off today. Last year, we
reached an economic growth rate of 29%, and continuing at 20%
this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
With about 62.2 % of the vote counted so far,
preliminary results show that nationally, 41% of voters were
women. In just three years since the fall of the Taliban, the
women of Afghanistan, from being the most oppressed women in
the world, are emerging as a very important force for security,
peace and democracy in Afghanistan.
Success in Afghanistan is helping the world become
a safer place. Afghanistan’s transition and successful
advance on the path to democracy and state-building will impact
the expectations and the aspirations of the people all over
the world. Every vote cast in Afghanistan was a vote against
terror and in favor of democracy and global security.
Originally, success in Afghanistan was measured
in the context of preventing negative results from a failed
state. Today, with the achievement of the landmark national
elections, Afghanistan is emerging as an exemplary model of
success of international partnership.
As of today, 62.2% of the votes have been counted
with President Karzai leading by 56.2%. He will most likely
be the winner. But in this election, there are no losers except
for the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The Afghan people have won this
election.
The new elected government will enjoy more robust
support of the people, but it also will be burdened with meeting
their expectations. The new government must deliver. Afghans
are very optimistic and have high expectations for the future.
They voted to elect a president who is committed to improve
security, enhance the rule of law, fight narcotics and corruption,
and dissolve private militias. They want schools and education.
A widow said, “Our children are deaf from the sound of
rocket explosions, I am voting for a President who will build
schools for us and give us peace. I cannot read, but I do not
want my children to be illiterate.”
Afghans are asking for good governance, transparency,
and accountability. In the words of Saleha, a woman at Haidar
Khan High School in Kabul, “Our expectation from the future
president is to give us peace and security, collect all the
weapons from militias, and gives women the rights and respect
they deserve.”
The new president must live up to the fair expectations
of the people. In six months, Afghans are going to the polls
to choose their parliament. By then, Afghans must feel the tangible
results of their first investment in democracy. There are many
warlords and drug lords dying to make their way into our future
parliament. The Afghan people demand a parliament that expedites
the process of building a civil society in Afghanistan. During
his short campaign, President Karzai promised the Afghan people
he would build on the successes of the partnership with the
international community.
The Afghan people have put their trust in the
benefits of democracy and international partnership. Now it
is up to the new government and the international community
to deliver and prove that this trust is properly placed.
Thank you.
