Posters on the wall

For Afghans, Sunday came after nearly 30 years. It was that long ago, when Afghanistan last voted members to its Parliament. From a battlegr...

For Afghans, Sunday came after nearly 30 years. It was that long ago, when Afghanistan last voted members to its Parliament. From a battleground for warring powers to becoming the fountainhead of Islamic terror, Afghanistan has travelled through many centuries since then to now. This was the second time in last two years that the Afghans have voted. In 2004, they turned out to choose their president. This time it was a different affair. Over 2,500 candidates in the

fray for 249 seats in the Wolesi Jirga Lower House and some 3,000 candidates for the 420 provincial council seats in 34 provinces, the mammoth exercise had Afghans mesmerised and to an extent even confused.

The number of posters on the walls, behind cars, on trees and every other little space that is there for taking, in what is now the bustling city of Kabul has been an indication of the excitement preceding the polls. While political parties do exist, they were not to be reflected in the ballot paper. So, most candidates actually preferred to stand as independents.

Unlike the presidential elections, for the voter, the candidate was often the person next door who had done relatively better for themselves. A rich businessman, or an activists or someone who had the right contacts. There were even a few ex-Taliban hands in the fray. But in the excitement of all the campaigning, there was also the fear of violence. Reports that erstwhile Taliban groups were coming together to undermine this 8220;western8221; project was a cause of concern given that American casualties in 2005 were the highest compared to previous years. This, perhaps, explains the 40-42 per cent turnout on Sunday. That the polls went off without major incident indicates that perhaps Afghans are willing to give this process a chance.

The challenge for Afghanistan begins now. The election process has rekindled national pride. The pressure to emerge from the image of an aid-dependent government to a self-sustaining apparatus will increase. There will be calls for indigenous security structures, independent policies and governance that does not discriminate against citizens for being Taliban sympathisers.

But then, these are precisely the kind challenges that could strengthen democracy in the days ahead. For the moment, elections 2005 have created a stake larger than ever before for Afghans in the future of Afghanistan.