Descent into 'Democratic' Chaos

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan has reason to take much for granted. It cannot be easy redeeming a country that has been identified in the west as the antithesis of all that western civilisation stands for. And anybody who bears that onerous mantle can claim a certain latitude. He may occasionally stray and cause his patrons some concern. But his long-term promise is that he is the only bulwark against chaos.

The elections to the national presidency and the provincial councils on 20 August were intended to mark the consecration of Hamid Karzai as Afghanistan’s leader. Though there were murmurs of dissent and disgruntlement from all parts of the country, he was still expected to enjoy a solid advantage over all his rivals. Rather than vote their tribe or ethnicity, most of Afghanistan’s electorate was expected to endorse Karzai’s leadership as a gesture of faith in the transition that he symbolised.