Afghanistan prepares for national election

Nearly three years after U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban regime in Afghanistan for harboring al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, the nation is slated to hold its first ever national elections tomorrow.\nThe interim president Hamid Karzai is largely expected to win the election against the 17 other candidates on the ballot. Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures M. Nazif Shahrani, who recently returned from Afghanistan in August, said he has several concerns about the upcoming election. Shahrani cited poor security throughout much of the country and evidence of mass voter registration irregularities. \nHe said more time should have been taken to organize the election and accommodate for problems arising from poor public records and census information. He said these setbacks have enabled some individuals to register multiple times, allowing them the opportunity to cast more than one vote in the election this Saturday votes that Sharani said may be being sold to the highest bidder. \n"The Central Statistics Office estimated earlier that there would be 9.8 million eligible voters," Shahrani said. "Now there are up to 11 1/2 million people who will vote, how do you account for that?" \nThe Bush administration has touted the Afghan election as an important milestone in restoring Afghan self-governance. Vice President Dick Cheney said during the Tuesday vice-presidential debate, "(Afghan) Women are going to vote," he said. "Women are even eligible to run for office. This is major, major progress. There will be democracy in Afghanistan, make no doubt about it. Freedom is the best antidote to terror."\nProfessor John Walbridge, chairman of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, also expressed reservations about Saturday's election. Walbridge said many Afghan voters are being pressured or even threatened to vote for particular candidates. \n"There is concern about the role of the local leaders or warlords, depending on your point of view about them and the extent to which the elections will be simply a reflection of their wishes," he said.\nWalbridge added Karzai has had an unfair advantage over his challengers. Karzai is provided with American bodyguards as well as access to government resources such as military helicopters which he has used to travel to campaign rallies. Despite Karzai's elaborate security detail, a shoulder-fire missile narrowly missed a helicopter he was traveling in to a political rally two weeks ago.\nKarzai's running mate, Ahmad Zia Massoud, survived an assassination attempt Wednesday while campaigning in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province. Remnant members of the Taliban have issued statements claiming responsibility for the attacks on political figures and have vowed to disrupt the elections. \nAccording to The Associated Press, there are approximately 18,000 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan providing security along with soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force and members of the reestablished Afghan National Army. However, government control remains tenuous in many regions outside of Kabul. Vying local leaders, many of whom are unfriendly to the current government, wield wide influence beyond the capital as do former Taliban and al Qaeda groups.\n-- Contact staff writer Rami \nChami at rchami@indiana.edu .