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Afghanistan Research Newsletter Afghanistan Research Newsletter Number 22, July / August 2009 3 Documenting the 2009 Election 4 List of New Laws Published in the Official Gazette 5 Research News 7 New Publications from AREU 9 New Publications and Resources 9 National Agriculture Development Framework (NADF) 10 The New US Administration’s Policy Toward Afghanistan 12 European Nations Reassess Policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan 12 Cross-cutting and General 13 Agriculture 13 Children 13 Climate Change 14 Development 17 Health 17 History 17 Justice, Rule of Law, Laws 19 Maps 19 Migration 19 National Solidarity Programme 19 Opium 20 Politics and Government 21 Public Opinion 21 Security 25 Women 25 Pashtun Cultural Magazine AFGHANISTAN RESEARCH AND EVALUATION UNIT Afghanistan Research Newsletter Key Dates in the 2009 Afghanistan Presidential and Provincial Council Elections Date Activity 21 April Publication of election calendar 18 to 24 April Launch of candidate registration process 25 April to 8 May Nomination of candidates 9 to 15 May Scrutiny of applications 16 May Notification to candidates of any deficiencies in nomination applications 17 to 22 May Remedy of deficiencies in nomination applications 21 May Launch of Voter Education/Public Information campaign 23 to 25 May Preparation of preliminary list of candidates 26 May to 1 June Display of preliminary list of candidates plus challenges, corrections, and appeals 26 May to 8 June ECC hearings and decisions 9 June ECC informs IEC of decisions on nominations 9 to 12 June IEC prepares final list of candidate 12 June Publication of final list of candidates 9 to 14 June IEC prepares final ballot designs 14 June Final ballot designs sent to printers 15 June to 15 July Printing of ballot papers 16 June to 18 August Political campaign period 20 June Recruitment of District Field Coordinators (DFCs) 1 to 10 July Recruitment of polling and counting staff 15 July Finalise polling centre locations and number of polling stations 16 July Ballot papers arrive in Kabul 17 July to 19 August Packing of kits and distribution of ballot papers to provinces and polling centres 20 July to 20 August Publicise polling centre locations 9 to 11 August Polling and counting training for centre managers and station chairperson 20 August Polling day 20 August Retrieval of results from polling centres 3 September Preliminary results for Presidential election (pending decisions on complaints) 17 September Final certified results of Presidential election 1 October Approximate date for Presidential run-off (if required) Source: UNDP/ELECT 2 July / August 2009 Documenting the 2009 Election The website of the Independent Electoral Commission day, multiple registrations where people obtained (IEC) http://www.iec.org.af/content.asp?id=law is more than one registration card, registering women the first place to check for election material updates. based on a list of names provided by male relatives, The candidate lists for Presidential and Provincial lack of observers and media in registration centres, Council elections 2009 have been uploaded in Dari/ and poor security conditions that stopped people Pashto already: http://www.iec.org.af/cnlist.asp (the participating in registration. FEFA has identified PDFs total 27.4 MB). An unofficial translation of this reasons for these: lack of adequate training of staff was prepared by the Cooperative for Peace and Unity by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), lack (CPAU) (PDF 648 KB—not currently online). of appropriate vetting of staff by the IEC, lack of female electoral staff, and a lack of understanding of Posters advising people about the election have already democratic values among electoral workers and the been released: people. These, and other suggestions, are included in six pages of recommendations for the IEC, Afghan civil society, the Afghan Government and international donors. “Afghanistan’s Presidential Election: Power to the People or the Powerful?” London: International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), March 2009. 52 p. http://www.icosgroup.net/ documents/power_to_the_ people.pdf (952 KB). This report examines the key AFGHANISTAN’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: dynamics and personalities POWER TO THE PEOPLE, OR THE POWERFUL? at play in the run-up to the Afghan Presidential election. It details some recommendations for Papers on the election conducting the election, from other organisations and possible scenarios that are starting to appear and might shape its outcome. include: In February 2008, ICOS released a report called London, March 2009 “2009 Voter Registration Decision Point 2008. That Observation: Report.” report listed the names of Free and Fair Election individuals given by Afghans as potential Presidential Foundation (FEFA). Kabul: candidates and examined the issues facing Afghanistan Free and Fair Election in the run-up to the Presidential election, then Foundation, May 2009. scheduled for April/May 2009. This report updates 51 p. http://www.fefa. that list and reports on key dynamics and issues at org.af/download/Final%20 play in Afghanistan in the run up to the election now Report%20FEFA.pdf. The scheduled for 20 August 2009 (p. 5). Free and Fair Election Foundation (FEFA) is Afghanistan’s only domestic election observation agency. Between Addis, Casey and Kenneth Katzman. “Middle East October 2008 and February 2009 it observed the voter Elections 2009: Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq.” registration process that registered around 4.5 million Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service, new voters. Overall, FEFA believes the process was a Library of Congress, 18 May 2009. http://www. successful effort that enabled Afghanistan to move fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R40586.pdf (192 KB). This forward towards democratisation. FEFA observed report provides an overview of the election contests in the process with trained volunteers throughout the Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq including possible country. A number of violations were also observed: outcomes and implications for US policy. Afghanistan is registration of voters who will be under 18 on polling covered on pages 7-9. 3 Afghanistan Research Newsletter “Afghanistan’s Election Challenges.” Kabul/Brussels: fail to embed a robust electoral framework and drive International Crisis Group (ICG), 24 June 2009. 34 p. democratisation at all levels. This has made holding http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/getfile.cfm?id=400 truly meaningful elections much more difficult. 2&tid=6176&type=pdf&l=1 (1.38 MB). “Afghanistan’s Rather than once again running the polls merely as forthcoming elections, with presidential and provincial distinct events, the enormous resources and attention council polls on 20 August 2009, and National Assembly focused on the elections should be channelled into and district elections scheduled for 2010, present a strengthening political and electoral institutions as formidable challenge if they are to produce widely a key part of the state-building efforts required to accepted and credible results. The weakness of state produce a stable country.” (p. i). institutions, the deteriorating security situation and the fractured political scene are all highlighted For daily translated extracts from Afghan media by—and will likely have a dramatic effect on—the relevant to the elections see the Daily Afghanwire electoral process. The years since the last poll saw newsletter ([email protected]). the Afghan Government and international community List of New Laws Published in the Official Gazette New Laws The publication section of the Ministry of Justice has had staff changes and in late-June 2009 said there were delays in releasing issues of the Official Gazette (OG). No issues have yet been published relevant to 1388, however some 1387 issues are in production and will be released sometime “soon”. Earlier issues: 960 6 September 2008: • Modification of paragraph one of article 15 of regulation on production and import of medicine and medical equipment. • Regulation on formulation of civil service grades 961 21 September 2008: Registration of commercial documents and trademarks. 962 21 October 2008: Registration of commercial documents and trademarks. The Afghanistan Research Newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU). The purpose of the newsletter is to alert readers to new research being undertaken on Afghanistan and to help disseminate research findings and analysis. Some of the resources cited are available on the internet; most books and other publications are available at the AREU library, located in the AREU office (corner of Flower Street and Street 2, Kabul) and open to researchers Sunday to Thursday, 9:00am- 12:00pm and 12:30pm-4pm. The Newsletter is compiled by Royce Wiles and translated by Waheed Ahmad and Mary Shirzad. If you have ideas for books or other publications or resources that should be included in the newsletter, please send an email to [email protected]. AREU is an independent research organisation based in Kabul. AREU’s mission is to conduct high-quality research that informs and influences policy and practice. AREU also actively promotes a culture of research and learning by strengthening analytical capacity in Afghanistan and facilitating reflection and debate. Fundamental to AREU’s vision is that its work should improve Afghan lives. AREU was established in 2002 by the assistance community working in Afghanistan and has a board of directors with representation from donors, the United Nations and other multilateral
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