Why we should vote

This was first published on The Malaysian Insider on 28 November 2010.

Democracy is a powerful notion.

It allows; an octogenarian black woman, a single-mother working on double shifts, a 40 year-old unemployed college drop-out, a life-saving surgeon, a homeless war veteran with one arm, a 19 year-old exchange student in Europe, a young beautiful stripper, Joe the gay plumber and Mary the unhappy housewife; to choose who they want to run their country.

It is perhaps the only rare time when every single person, who has not relinquished his or her civil and political rights, will ever be treated equally. Think about it: is there any other time when everyone’s voices are valued and measured in the same manner regardless of their socio-economic background? And because of this power and the sanctity of it, the State will try its best to provide each and everyone the means to exercise this inalienable right to vote.

Photo above: Robin Carnahan, a Democrat candidate for the Missouri State House of Representatives lost in the recent Mid-Term election.

Democracy can be a dangerous notion.

In order to wipe out competition; political opponents, women candidates and pro-democratic mullahs are intimidated or killed. Women who decide to shed their proverbial and literal burqas in order to have their photographs laminated on their voter registration cards are being threatened to death or killed.

For the lucky ones who manage to emerge unscathed, they will walk miles and miles to the polling stations in the harsh winter climate wearing only inferior Croc-style shoes on their freezing feet and determination on their faces already showing signs of pre-mature aging.

I was fortunate enough to witness how democracy was carried out in the United States of America (USA) and Afghanistan. Although their spirits are as different as night and day, the essence of the notion remains the same. Hence, for the precise reason that democracy is such a powerful notion that many Afghans are being persecuted for embracing it. To me, this is the first reason why we should vote.

I love elections. There is nothing more exciting and inspiring than watching regular citizens from any given layer of society share one common belief that each of them has the opportunity to be a part of that intricate fabric that will one day adorn their government.

When I am at a polling station, I am amazed and comforted by the thought that no matter how insignificant one is in the scheme of things, his or her vote will be counted. No matter what the election outcome is, that person’s existence that day has mattered greatly. Sadly, it is too rare to witness such a sense of importance and purpose in regular people throughout our daily lives, but when such opportunity presents itself, it is truly an honour.

When my alarm clock went off at 4:30am on 2 November 2010, I jumped off my bed and was ready in advance of my 5:30am pick-up. John Chasnoff, the Programme Manager for the American Civil Liberties Union for Eastern-Missouri (ACLU, E-M) (insert hyperlink: http://www.aclu-em.org/), pulled up at the entrance of my hotel on South-Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis City, a few minutes after 5:30am.

Photo above: Volunteers at the legal command centre of St. Louis. It was still dark outside. Polling stations open at 6am in the United States on Election Day.

Photo above: Finally things got a bit more exciting as the day progressed. Volunteers gathered together to discuss a complaint.

It was still dark and the roads were completely deserted when we arrived at a Reformed Judaism temple serving as the legal command centre for St. Louis’s Voter Protection Programme (insert hyperlink: http://www.advancementproject.org/our-work/voter-protection) that day. The programme was run by Advancement Project with the help of a coalition of non-governmental organisations such as ACLU, National Disability Rights Network, etc.

We were greeted by Denise Lieberman, a civil rights lawyer, who had just arrived at the center with her arms full. I quickly established that she was the team leader as she wasted no time in turning on the lights and coffee machine, setting up the centre, getting someone to pick up assortments of bagels and cream cheeses and organising the volunteers who were beginning to trickle in to the centre.

Most volunteers were lawyers on standby to address complaints of electoral irregularities. The day started off slowly and I was beginning to feel convinced that voters in America do not need protection after all and the existence of such programme was merely a frivolity and not necessity.

Throughout my trip in the USA, I asked some Americans whether electoral fraud is a concern in the country. Most of them smiled politely as if it was the most ridiculous question they had ever heard. According to many, it would be extremely difficult but not impossible, to find someone trying to vote twice since the real challenge is actually to get more Americans to vote. Apparently, the USA is notoriously known for low voter turnout, except for the last Presidential election when throngs of young voters turned up to vote.

What intrigued me the most was the absence of photo ID as a requirement to vote. When I pressed on about how such a system could potentially become a target for abuse and fraud, most of them just shrugged and said, “You just need to trust.” It was my turn to smile politely.

While refilling my third cup of coffee that morning, I stroke up a conversation with another volunteer. According to him, many Americans do not have any form of photo identification since not all Americans possess a passport or driver’s license; the two most common documents with photos attached. As such, it makes it virtually impossible for the electoral law to include photo ID as a requirement to vote. He believes that one of the main reasons why some Americans make this into such a big issue is to prevent certain voters from voting for the opposition.

Sure enough, one of the complaints which subsequently came in that morning was of a polling officer who insisted that a voter must present a photo ID in order to vote. Later on, John and I were sent to a polling station to investigate a complaint against a Republican challenger who was allegedly telling polling officers that the voting machines were faulty and in order for a republican vote to be registered in the system, voters must press the button for the Republican candidate repetitively. Another complaint received was from a blind voter who was concerned that the polling officer might not have read out the whole list of candidates and propositions on the ballot paper.

Once we determined that the day was not going to get more exciting, John was ready to cast his vote at the polling station where he registered. As long as I am not John’s employer or labour union representative, I was allowed to accompany and assist him at the voting booth, in which I did. Since USA is pretty much a country that seems to rely heavily on trust, nobody bothered to question whether John genuinely needed my assistance in the first place. I also noticed that there was no police presence in most of the polling stations we went. The only time when we actually saw them was when they came to collect the ballot boxes.

 

Photo above: John Chasnoff distributing electoral materials at one of the polling stations. We had to make sure that we were at least 25 feet away from the entrance of the polling station. A voter arrived at the polling station with his granddaughter.

When I talked to John about my experience in Afghanistan as a Civic Education Officer and Political Rights Verification Officer, I was reminded of how different the atmosphere was on election day in Afghanistan. At the end of the day, we would have witnessed or received countless of reports on the number of fraud, intimidation and violence committed all over the country.

I think there are many reasons why some people do not vote. It could be because they have lost faith in the whole democratic process. It could also be because they do not know who to vote for or care enough for what the candidates stand for. It could be because they are not physically or mentally fit to vote. But there are also many who do not vote simply because they think their votes do not matter and election period is just another day for politicians to hurl malicious accusations at each other in public. For these people, here’s news for you.

Democracy is not free but often comes with a huge price. It is not handed down to us on a silver platter but one that is often filled with blood and difficult compromises. For many of us who live in relatively peaceful and politically stable countries, we have become myopic of how our fore parents had fought hard for it many years ago. It would appear that the more democratic a country is, the less interested her people are in her political affairs. For isn’t this the ugly side of human nature that it is when something is taken away from you that you will only come to value it the most?

So vote while you still have the right to do so.

Many days and weeks later: Silence of the Lim

I blame it on the hotel suite at the Residence Inn, Marriott and the Office of License Collector in St. Louis. The day I moved into the suite, unpacked my 2 suitcases and began to make myself feel at home, that was the day when I stopped blogging.

It’s like when I saw all my clothes hanging on the wardrobe rack, arranged in the order of warm, formal, work and casual; and the rest folded neatly away in the countless of drawers in the bedroom, I kind of sub-consciously told myself that there is no urgency to pen down my daily journal as religiously as when I was in Washington DC.

Yeah, a bedroom suite with ample of storage space and living out of a suitcase is bad.

Picture above: The St. Louis City Hall

On top of that, living the unaccustomed life-style of a “foreign dignitary” (believe me, I wouldn’t like to be referred to as that but for Michael and Charlotte who insist on calling us that), courtesy of our hosts at the Office of License Collector, has made it impossible for me to keep track of what had happened in the last few weeks. By the time I wanted to blog about something new that had happened on the day before, it had become old news.

At the risk of sounding as if I am having too much of a good time (although I insist on calling them socio-cultural activities), I’m just going to provide a very summarised version of some memorable events that had taken place, or will be taking place:

• Attend the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) luncheon at the Renaissance Hotel;
• Field passes to watch the St. Louis RAMS versus San Diego CHARGES game at the Edward Jones Dome;
• Attend the 100 Black Men masquerade ball at the Hyatt River Front Hotel;
• Attend Sunday service at the Prince of Peace Church;
• Shopping at Macy’s, Saks @ 5th Avenue, the Mills, etc.
• Dining at various local eateries and soul food;
• Attend the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) gala at the Millennium Hotel;
• VIP seats for America’s Got Talent live show at the Fox Theater;
• Going up the Gateway Arch;
• St. Louis Zoo at Forest Park;
• St. Louis Science Centre;
• Live jazz and blues at BB’s, South Broadway;
• Trip to Jefferson City, capital of Missouri State;
• Trip to Chicago;
• Attend Friday Shabbat at the Temple of Emmanuel;
• Attend the Rally for Sanity, Gateway Arch.
• Halloween with the St. Louis BLUES hockey team against Atlanta THRASHERS at the Scottrade Centre;
• Visiting legendary baseball player Lou Brock at his home; and

the list can go on…..

Wonder whether I do any work or serious stuff at all? Of course, I do. Who am I kidding?

In addition to the countless of meetings with government and elected officials, non-profit and business communities, I have been working with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for Eastern-Missouri on their campaign to push for the passing of a State Bill to bring the police from state to local control of what is known as Proposition L (Prop L). A referendum on Prop L will be carried out simultaneously at the mid-term election next Tuesday.

Above: A rally that was held outside the St. Louis City Hall in conjunction with National Day Against Police Brutality on 22 October 2010

Above: Doing some community work with Mission Continues, a non-profit organisation which aims to help former war veterans to find purpose and meaning in their lives again.

And if you think some of these activities are not serious enough, here’s a photo which will prove it.

Standing on the glass floor at the top of the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower), Chicago, has got to be some serious stuff, man!

Anyway, I’ve already got some articles planned for my TMI column. Do watch out for that.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo on the left, courtesy of CW Lim.

DAY 7 & 8: Leaving Washington DC to St. Louis, Missouri

 

DAY 7: Preparing for our fellowship

After nearly a week of orientation in Washington DC, it’s time for all of us to be deployed to our respective state hosts. The Indonesians are going to Mississippi, the Filipinos, Atlanta and Malaysians to St. Louis. Just as I was getting used to living in Washington DC (and of course with still so many more places to explore; the Smithsonian museums in particular, but who’s keeping count, eh?), it was time to leave and I was feeling rather melancholy. The good news is, we’re coming back after 4 weeks.

We spent half a morning with Kristin at the Club Quarters Hotel conference room. She briefed us on our respective fellowship schedules and miscellaneous assignments we’re expected to do during that period of time. Then, we were off to Capitol Hill for a quick tour.

Top left: On the way to Capitol Hill through an underground tunnel for staff.

Top right: The delegates taking pictures of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s entrance to Congress.

As usual, I was not disappointed although it was crowded with visitors and we had to rush through the tour. The highlights were definitely the 15-minute video called E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “One From Many” (found on the US 1 dollar bill) and the inside of the Rotunda (see picture below) which took my breath away. The video seeks to illustrate the historical background of the American Congress (House of Representatives) and its significance.

I thought the video was insightful and inspiring at the same time. If there’s one thing I’m learning from the Americans; it’s that they do know how to run a fantastic campaign and to “sell their products”. By the end of the video, I was convinced that the American Congress is the greatest democratic institution and serves as a strong and proud model for the rest of the world despite being told by many, how disappointed and upset the Americans are with their present Congressmen and women. I believe their success lies in two main factors; lots of money and getting the best team to run the campaign.

I then went to the new US Supreme Court which was originally housed in Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, it was closing in 15 minutes and I had to rush through the whole building. I thought I could squeeze the national zoo on the way back but instead I went to watch a new documentary called Waiting for Superman by the same producer that did An Inconvenient Truth. The documentary is about the declining quality and standard of public schools in America.

Above: The US Supreme Court. On the top front of the Greco-Roman building, it’s written Equal Justice Under Law.

I could see that the American audience is more interactive than in Malaysia. They would respond to what’s being presented in front of them on the silver screen. For example, the audience applauded, expressed their disgust and sighed out loud at appropriate moments throughout the documentary. They were appalled to see thousands of children being entered into lottery  so that they would stand a chance, regardless of how remote it may be, of getting into a good school with very limited spaces. While I acknowledge that it’s sad state of an affair, I couldn’t help but think how Malaysians have been robbed of a good education for decades and nobody would have dared to make a documentary about it if they are not prepared of the possibility of government reprisal.

When I was waiting for my popcorn before entering the theater, the guy behind the counter asked what movie I was going to watch. As soon as I said “Waiting for Superman”, his reaction was, “Oh really? Why?!!” Taken aback, I asked whether there was something wrong with the documentary. He looked around and once he was satisfied that no one else was around, he slipped a printed piece of paper to me and urged me to read it. As it turned out, the paper is Rick Ayers’ criticism of the points asserted by the documentary. You can read it here. And this is what I call a healthy and robust democracy – allowing people to express their point of views and then to have others rebut it based on facts, research and study. And, nobody dies from this.

For our last night in Washington DC before we return again in 4 weeks’ time, Rajiv and I hit Adams Morgan. It is a vibrant area where the clubbing scene is. The roads were filled with people ready to party all night long. There was also a bunch of people protesting against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) while being observed by policemen. We went to have dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant. Since I lived in Ethiopia for almost a year, I can tell that the food is not as authentic or delicious as the real thing, but it was sufficient to remind me of a place I once loathed in the beginning and learned to love in the end. (The injera still looked like folded tea towels which made me laugh.)

Day 8: Living like a VIP in St. Louis

Upon arrival at the airport, we were greeted by a tall, handsome and well-dressed man, and a jovial and warm woman. Michael McMillan, License Collector for the City of St. Louis, and Charlotte Ottley, Michael’s assistant, will be our hosts for the next 4 weeks.

When we finally secured our luggage and stepped onto the tarmac, I was stunned to see a long black limousine waiting for us by the sidewalk across the street. The first thought that came to my mind was this: “How on earth are we ever going to live up to this?” You see, Michael, Charlotte and two more individuals from St. Louis who are yet to be identified, will be visiting Malaysia in December. This is part of the ACYPL exchange programme.

I was rather distracted by the whole “grand gestures” (Benedicto will smile if he reads this) that I failed to notice my surrounding. I definitely notice the number of whiskey carafe in front of me and the fact that Charlotte and Michael were sitting way at the back that it was probably impolite for me to raise my voice so that I could talk to them.

I was also stunned when I saw our accommodation for the next 4 weeks. We were all placed in a double bedroom suite at the Marriott Residence Inn and since I’m the only woman, I get a whole suite to myself. Not only that, Charlotte had prepared a welcome pack for each of us and I must confess that tears came to my eyes as I opened the bag that is filled with all sorts of wonderful girlie stuff. I told Michael that I felt as if I’m in America’s Next Top Model and he laughed. All in all, Michael and Charlotte’s generosity  and hospitality were beyond comparison and nothing that I have quite experienced before.

We had a few hours of rest before being picked up by a polite and nice gentleman named McFarlene Duncan. McFarlene works in Michael’s office and he was to accompany us to a black tie fundraising event for the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity of the Epsilon Lambda Chapter of St. Louis at the Marriott Hotel at Union Station. I must confess that I was dreading it, especially when I was ill prepared in the wardrobe department. Thankfully, my turquoise silk kebaya was a huge success as I received appreciative comments by the women there. Everyone looked dignified and handsome in their tuxedos and evening gown. Michael of course, looked dashing and I smiled when I saw this video on You Tube.

Now, if you really know me, you’ll also know that I’m actually shy and uncomfortable in formal and high society-type events. I’m especially bad when it comes to striking up interesting conversations, networking with important people and putting a spotlight on myself so that I’ll get noticed. I tend to shy away from this but I’ll always remember what Mom tells me, “As an adult, you’ll need to learn to do all sorts of things which you don’t like. It’s called responsibility.” The other thing which I constantly tell myself is to always give something a chance before making any conclusion and as it turned out the night was fun, interesting and I was glad that we were invited to attend.

We were honoured to meet so many interesting people and with those who received awards for their contributions to their local communities. I learned a lot about the American culture of fraternity and sorority. I also learned about how people do fundraising event and above all, I learned that all African Americans can sing (not that it’s a secret if you watch American Idol but I just didn’t know how many they would be).

I don’t know what to expect come Tuesday when we finally start our fellowship. I must confess that I wait for it with great anticipation but not without trepidation. It seems that people here have such great expectations of us and I hope we won’t disappoint them.

Thank you Michael, Charlotte, McFarlene and everyone else who have welcomed us to St. Louis with style, warmth and kindness.

Day 6: DCCC, luncheon, pollster and night tour of Washington DC

It takes immense discipline to blog every day and without the luxury of time, I have not been able to produce more meaningful and thoughtful blogs.  So, I’m going to cheat for this entry. Instead of long narratives, I’m going to post some photos to help unfold the events that took place today.

Meeting with Johanna Berkson, Director of Training & Campaign Staff Recruitment of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)

Top: Johanna (in red) explaining what her portfolio at the DCCC does. In a nutshell, it recruits and trains staff and congressional candidates on how to run an election campaign.

Right: It’s common practice for delegates to thank each person we meet with a small token of appreciation from home. I normally give them a button badge and sticker of the MyConstitution Campaign.

ACYPL Fellows luncheon @ Zaytinya

Had a lovely luncheon with the delegates from Pakistan who just finished their fellowship in Salt Lake City, Utah and several ACYPL staff and alumni members. I’m going to live up to my identity as a Malaysian. Let’s talk about food first. Here’s some of the delectable Middle Eastern/Mediterranean meze on the menu; baba ghannouge, tzatziki, sauteed mushrooms with dates and toasted almonds, salmon cooked with spicy eggplant and cracked green olive salsa and turkish delight.

Heer Soha (left) shared her experience in Salt Lake City. She shyly confessed that she had misconceived perceptions of Americans before she joined the programme. According to her, she didn’t like what she heard about Americans and at the same time also thought that Americans did not like Pakistan nationals. She was pleasantly surprised to experience warm hospitality and kindness displayed by all the Americans she has since met. She particularly like the Mormon community and feels that they share similar cultures; conservative and teetotaler. She added that she was very grateful that her hosts were respectful of their religious practices.

Below: We had Rachel Zagrabelny McGreevy, an Alumnus to Islamabad in 2006, and Heer Soho, a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Pakistan on our table.

Top: The lovely and ever-friendly Philippino delegation who will be going to Atlanta, Georgia for their fellowship. From left to right: Benedicto, Ivy, Aura and Daisy.

Top left: Ellin Rozana, Executive Director of an NGO in Indonesia called Institut Perempuan, eating salmon for the first time in her life.

Top right: Contrary to popular belief that Americans generally stuff themselves up with fast food, people living in Washington DC tends to eat better and healthier. There’s hardly any McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut or KFC around. Instead, there are tonnes of great restaurants such as this. Words have it that Michelle Obama is making great effort to promote healthy eating amongst American and it’s definitely visible here in Washington DC. It’s also the capital for running!

“What do the polls say?” with Karen Emmerson, Associate Analyst, Lake Research Partners

After a 3-course lunch, we waddled to our next meeting. Afraid that I was going to fall asleep, the session was thankfully incredibly interesting.

Karen gave a well-prepared and thorough presentation on what the polls say about the Democrat’s standing for the mid-term election. Again, the results do not favour them. She also shares the A-Z on how to conduct a poll and how it affects a candidate’s campaign.

Top:  Kristin Rhebergen (middle), labelled as a “walking google search machine” by one of the delegates, illustrated the meaning of exit polls while being watched by Rizki (far left) and Karen.

Top from left to right:  Erin (the lovely ACYPL intern and official group photographer), Rajiv, Ivy and Betty enjoying Karen’s presentation.

Washington DC by night

I have to admit that I’m slowly falling in love with Washington DC. I used to think that New York City is one of the most awesome cities I’ve ever been but Washington DC has a soul. NYC is all about the lifestyle but Washington DC is about the city and its remarkable stories. It is almost as if everything that was built on the city prior to the 20th century has a meaning and purpose.

Ken Insley (left), an alumnus to China in 2002, did a fantastic job of introducing the city to us in 2 hours. He astounded us with his in-depth knowledge of American history, which he credited to the years he taught in a high school.

When we past by Smithsonian, Ken revealed  why admissions to the 19 museums are free. (Read here for the story behind it.) According to him, the Air and Space Museum remains the world’s most visited museum. Due to recent economic recession, the number of Americans visiting Washington DC has increased substantially.

Ken may be delighted to know that I’ve decided to spend my free afternoon tomorrow at the museums even though I’m not a museum person.  In honour of James Smithson’s aspiration to promote universal education, I am going to make an exception for this. I have a strong hunch that it would make a couple of people very happy. 

 

Top: Inside the Washington Monument. The walls contain massive inscriptions of parts of the US Declaration of Independence. Below: The large columns predominantly seen on most monuments in Washington DC were very much inspired by the Greeks.

Left: The Lincoln Memorial.

Day 5: A day to remember - hype, labour pain, yeast infection, tea party and a moment of borrowed pride

 

Picture above: The ginormous “mini” bus that takes us around the city for our meetings.

HYPE HYPE HOORAY

Kristin, looking slightly concerned, asked everyone on the bus ride today, “Is everyone ok? I’ve noticed that some of you look a little bit under the weather.” She was referring to Dil and I  who have been trying hard to muffle our coughs during several meeting sessions today.

I may be physically under the weather but my spirit soars far above the Metro stations. Today is one of those days that reminds me of the reasons why I should still believe in humanity. Today is a day when my heart flutters in its attempt to tell me that I’m happy to be living this moment.

We had a series of eventful and interesting meetings from 9am to 4:30pm and it culminated in a high note when we finished the day with a night tour of the White House. The icing on the cake was fresh, delectable and sweet.

Picture above: Mozelle Thompson reminds the delegates that it’s important to manage one’s hotness on Facebook. Laura Burton Capps looks on amusingly.

We first met up with Laura Burton Capps and Mozelle W. Thompson who talked about traditional  and new media strategies for a successful political campaign.

Laura has spent 15 years developing strategic communications and issue advocacy campaigns for former President Bill Clinton, late Senator Edward Kennedy, former Senator John Kerry and other notable academic and non-profit organisations.

Mozelle is on the Advisory Board of Facebook and CEO of Thompson Strategic Consulting. He provides legal and policy advice to technology companies and was a Team Leader of the Obama/Biden Transition where he led the review of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Both presented very compelling arguments on the strengths and importance of traditional and modern media respectively but they also mutually concluded that for a campaign to be truly successful, both methods should always be adopted to complement each other.

Mozelle aptly calls the Facebook phenomenon as “a book club on steroid”. He described the effectiveness of Facebook as a campaign tool by giving an example that someone is likely to be more inclined to buy a Ford if he finds out on Facebook that his cousin has bought one.

He also imparted his wisdom on how to handle bad press/publicity. “The thing with owning a Facebook page or a blog is this, you’ll have to expect people to disagree or criticise you on your page or blog. But do you try to censure or remove these criticisms? Of course not cause here’s the thing. You can remove the comments, but that doesn’t mean they stop criticising you. You need to confront it because it will also provide you with an opportunity to rebut and to replace the bad with good publicity.”

LABOUR PAIN

Picture above: Left – Chuck Rocha and Jun Kim sharing their “union” stories. Right: Dil with the beautiful Anna Durett. Notice what she has on her dress?

We quickly moved on to our next meeting with people from the Communications Workers of America (CWA). CWA is the largest telecommunications union in the world. We were addressed by a charismatic Chuck Rocha and his amiable and down-to-earth colleagues, Jun Kim and Anna Durrett. Chuck’s introduction was  personal, human and inspiring. He shared the story of how he climbed from the bottom of a worker’s ladder to being a union leader and an effective activist for labour rights.

What was interesting about this session is how the whole argument about civil and political rights being as equally important and inter-connected with economic, social and cultural rights (the so-called “third-world rights”) can be personified in the role of a trade union. Chuck said that the sole purpose of a trade union is to defend and promote economic rights and security of workers and one of the most effective measures is to lobby for workers’ rights through legislative change.

Picture above: Denise Ferriozi sharing a light moment with some of the delegates.

A VERY GOOD KIND OF YEAST INFECTION

We then met Denise Ferriozi, Director of Women Vote! of the Emily’s List. The acronym Emily stands for Early Money is Like Yeast, signifying the yeast’s role in raising the dough.  EMILY's List is a political action committee (PAC) in the United States that aims to help elect progressive female candidates who are pro-choice to office.

I was curious to find out whether the organisation would support a female homosexual candidate and Denise affirmed that they had in fact helped Tammy Balwin to become the first openly gay woman elected to Congress in America. Here’s an interesting video promo by Emily’s List.

A TEA PARTY, ANYONE?

Our last meeting was with Phil Kerpen, Vice-President for Americans for Prosperity (a name which should never be confused for a Chinese-American movement). He shared a lot about the philosophies behind the tea party movement and surprisingly it makes a lot of sense to have what they call an “outside organisation” which plays an important role in American politics. For instance, this group is neither Republican nor Democrat and I personally see them as being in the middle. Although it was not specifically mentioned, I believe that they generally call for the decentralisation of federal government, oppose increased taxation in order to increase welfare and their main drive is to maintain the economic prosperity of hardworking Americans.

A MOMENT OF BORROWED PRIDE

Top left: Everyone in great anticipation at the entrance of the White House waiting for security clearance. Top right: At the Press Briefing room where the President delivers his press statements. Bottom: Araz  at the far left and Lindsay at the far right.

Unlike 10 Downing Street, the White House is probably one of the most iconic landmarks in the history of cinema and television drama. Although I have not watched The West Wing (which I should), I can just about imagine the thrill, honour, responsibility and glory of being in the White House. After all, most major foreign policies, whether good or bad, are being deliberated there.

When I first stepped into the White House, it felt as if I was stepping into Tengku Razaleigh’s office and resident in Kuala Lumpur; which for some bizarre reason, emulates the White House. It was a feeling of indifference. It wasn’t until when I saw the generically framed photographs capturing the daily life of President Obama lining every corner of White House walls, that I began to feel a sudden rush of pride and greatness. Being Malaysian, it was indeed a bizarre feeling and I felt guilty almost instantaneously.

As I walked along with the other ACYPL delegates, I tried to understand why being in the White House has touched me that much and these are my conclusions. As a stranger to this country, I was able to feel that sense of pride and honour as any average American would feel because the photos show a regular human being who shares an extraordinary and inspiring story. Barack Obama was a regular  man who tenaciously fought his way up to become the first African-American President. It is clearly a powerful human story and the photos depict him not only as a President but also a husband, father, son and man, help strangers like me to connect with him. (You can view the photos here)

I also think there is another possible contributing factor. To me, Lindsay Mueller and Araz, the two officers who gave us the tour, are the two best people the White House could have as “ambassadors”. It was extremely telling that they were both zealous, proud and honoured to work there. Lindsay spoke about the President, the incoming Chief of Staff, the “jumbo” (photographs) and even the infamous Colonnade with such affection and love that I feel almost envious of her.

Today is definitely one of the highlights of this trip. It almost reminded me of the day when I went to the Gandhi Smitri Museum in New Delhi quite a few years back. I went in feeling indifferent but came out inspired to be a better person for humankind. The people I met today taught me that being good at what they do is ultimately what makes the difference and change.

 

Day 3 & 4: Fighting jetlag and getting into things with ACYPL

Day 3: 4 October 2010

This is what happens when you don’t blog for one day: you can’t remember what had taken place the day before, particularly when your body is fighting hard to adjust to the 12-hour time difference.

Picture above: From left to right – Sara Binder, Thomas Mann, EJ Dionne Jr, William Galston and Michael McDonald

Thankfully, there is such a thing as the digital voice recorder to help remind me of the interesting forum called Midterm Elections 2010: Driving Forces, Likely Outcomes, Possible Consequences by the Brookings Institute on Monday morning. (The recording of the session can be accessed here.) Brookings is a non-profit organisation based in Washington DC. It aims to conduct high-quality, independent research which results in innovative recommendations that help to strengthen American democracy, amongst other things.

If you’re not really familiar with American politics, like me, it may be a bit difficult to follow the line of discussions by the distinguished speakers; each with extremely impressive credentials. You’ll also hear terms such as partisan gridlock, tea party (also read this article by Jonathan Rauch in the National Journal magazine), filibuster, gerrymandering (which I was relieved to know), etc. and you wonder to yourself whether they’re speaking in English.

The speakers were no doubt incredibly articulate, knowledgeable and witty as they often took the opportunity to inject humour into their speeches. Despite having some difficulty to fully comprehend the issues at hand, I found them enrapturing.

One can conclude from the forum that the forecast seems to favour the Republican in the coming mid-term elections.

Pictures above: Top – Linda explaining the structure of the two political parties; the  National Democratic/Republican Committee. Bottom: The ACYPL Fall Delegates. From top (left to right) – Rizki Affiat, Ellin Rozana, Aura Landar-Layese, Ibdil Ishak, Benedicto Savellano, Rajiv Rishyakaran & Lim Chee Wei. From bottom (left to right) – Betty Idroos, Ivy Martia Lei Ballitoc, Daisy Gamale, Linda Rotunno & Lim Ka Ea

In the afternoon, Linda Rotunno, the Chief Executive Officer of ACYPL, gave us an overview of ACYPL and the US Government. As a self-professed Democrat, it was evident that Linda has been profoundly touched and inspired by President Barack Obama. It was also clear on her facial expression and manner of speaking that she is frustrated with the declining support given to the President by majority of Americans in recent months. According to her, this is one of the toughest periods in American politics since the economic depression in the 1930s. It is a bleak period where majority of Americans are afraid of losing their jobs and this translates to taking desperate and not necessarily wise decisions.

She gave an example of how democracy does not always deliver the best results, especially when it’s being executed without proper information, nor wisdom. She told the story of Adrian Fenty, the 6th mayor of District Columbia, who single-handedly reformed the education system in lower-income areas of DC. He got rid of teachers who did not care too much for teaching and improved the overall quality of education in public schools. However, he got voted out in the next election by the people who needed him most to help raise the education standards of their children which will hopefully contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Day 4: 5 October 2010

We started the morning early by driving across the Arlington Memorial Bridge to Arlington county. There, we met Linda Lindberg who works as the General Registrar of Arlington County Officer of Voter Registration. We were given a thorough explanation of how voter registrations are carried out right up to the ballots being cast on election day.

The most unusual practice found in America as compared to Malaysia is the ability of those who are unable to vote during election day to send in their votes in advance via the absentee voting mechanism. The voters can send their votes either through email, post or in person at their respective county offices.

What was also interesting is the number of people who have told us that electoral fraud is rare. Security measures to counter double or phantom voting such as indelible ink and presentation of identification card at the ballot station are absent.

We also met with Amy Cenicola, Jim McCray and Michael Toner, individuals who work as fundraising consultants for the two political parties. Jim summarised the whole session succinctly. He said that the strength of a candidate is measured by the amount of funds he/she is able to generate. President Obama so far holds the record of generating more than USD700 million for his Presidential campaign and in his opinion, this is only the beginning as he sees greater potential in the President.

Management of campaign fund is pretty transparent in America. They claim that by just logging on to opensecrets.org, one can literally make a search on every individual that has contributed to which party in America. Foreigners, apparently, won’t be in the list.

Traveling to Washington DC and St. Louis, Missouri from 3 October to 11 November 2010

I had always counted my blessings when it came to traveling and seeing other parts of the world. Lately, I was beginning to sense that my luck may have ran out. Due to financial reasons as well as a tight work schedule, I often felt sorry for myself when I see amazing travel pictures of friends on Facebook.

Just as I thought I won’t have a chance to travel somewhere far for the next coming years, I have my lucky stars to be thankful for again.

Thanks to someone I know from work who recommended me to apply for the American Council for Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) Fellowship, I’ve been accepted to participate in this programme from 4 October to 11 November 2010. The ACYPL is a programme supported and funded by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

When it finally dawned on me that I could be going on a study trip, I told myself that I needed to do what it takes to get me there.  I thought to myself how wonderful it is to be able to go on a fully-funded programme and to cash in on knowledge and experience about something which I have always taken a keen interest in; government and politics.

One should not misconceive that this programme is meant for young politicians although I’ll be traveling with three individuals who are affiliated to the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Democratic Action Party (DAP). This makes me the only  female Malaysian candidate who is not affiliated to any political party. I suppose the fact that I do civic education-related work and that I am a woman, make for some of the reasons why I am chosen as an additional candidate from Malaysia.

There will be eleven of us; 4 Malaysians, 3 Indonesians and 4 from the Philippines who will be representing East Asia in the programme.

It is not without trepidation that I’m now in my final preparatory stage before I take my long long journey to Washington DC via transit in Seoul, South Korea, this weekend.

With my US visa in hand and in between stuffing excessive pairs of shoes amongst other more useful items in my luggage and trying my best to fulfill all TAS’s requirements, I brace myself for yet another adventure.

I’ll be blogging about this experience while on the go. Hopefully, I’ll be able to write something exciting and insightful like whether Barack Obama is really a Muslim or not (LOL!).

See you in Washington DC.

p/s: Adrienne, thanks for making this opportunity possible.

p/p/s: I’m also determined to find out once and for all whether Americans love to express their love in public, as portrayed by all the American chick-flicks I’ve watched on TV.

Technorati Tags: American Council for Young Political Leaders,Barisan Nasional,Democratic Action Party,Washington DC,St. Louis,United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,Barack Obama

Casting the Talibans away

Since my previous post, Afghanistan has seen another huge assault on their struggle towards democracy. With the Presidential elections two days away, the Taliban has fortified their determination to destabilize peace and security by instilling fear amongst those who hope to see a reformed government that was filled with corruption and abuse of power.

Having worked for the first Presidential election five years ago, it saddens me to feel as if nothing has changed. In fact, it would seem as if things have gone from bad to worse. Security has never been as fragile as now.

With more than 50 people wounded and 7 dead from the suicide bombing near the city of Kabul today, it’s hard to see any glimmer of hope for the people of Afghanistan. The BBC has reported on the widespread of violence in other other parts of the country on the same day.

The series of attacks and intimidation suffered by the Afghans may very well deter them from casting their ballots come Thursday. Will this then prove that the Taliban has won the war? It would, if this is precisely what will happen on polling day.

Having thought a bit about this, perhaps there is a silver lining somewhere along the assaults that have been carried out to injure the very spirit and essence of the Afghans. Would it be too presumptuous for me to think that the Taliban has increased their effort to reassert their authorities because they are finally being challenged by the very people they seek to control?

There is no denying that over the past few years, there is some sort of improvement in terms of human rights awareness amongst the Afghans, although many people would like to argue otherwise.

Sure, there are many things that are left to be desired; women’s rights, rule of law, freedom of expression and a government that is based on the principles of integrity and transparency.

However, if compared to five years ago, more and more Afghan women are starting to get back into the workforce although it is mainly in the cities only. The governor of Bamyan is a woman, the Chairperson of the Afghan Independence Human Rights Commission is also a woman and if I’m not mistaken, some women have also begun to learn how to drive.

Five years ago, there were no women candidates for the Presidential election. This year, there are two. Five years ago, there were 16 candidates but this year, 40.

Again, many would question the validity of these candidates but it doesn’t change the fact that there is an increasing space for democracy. I’ve read that presidential debates have been carried out and broadcasted live on Afghan television. I’ve read postings of local news and discussions by Afghan friends on Facebook and clearly see that there is a great shift from passive to being activists when it comes to the welfare of their country.

Five years ago, I worked with fellow Afghans who were local staff working for the UN. Last year, I know of one who has gone on to work in Sudan as an international staff and another who is travelling to Europe for his work with an international organization in Afghanistan. Not too long ago, it would be difficult to find an Afghan travelling abroad unless they are refugees, immigrants or those granted with political asylum.

I also know many of those who have remained in Afghanistan but continue to work courageously and fervently towards rebuilding their beloved country.

There are profound changes in the country no matter how insignificantly they might have appeared.

So perhaps, it’s not too far-fetched for me to assume that the Taliban has good reasons to be concerned. For the Afghans to give up now, it would greatly reduce their chance in winning the war against the Taliban.

As mentioned on my previous post, every Afghan has the power to change their country through the ballot box. It’s through this fundamental right that citizens have freed themselves from incompetent and abusive governments. It’s through this that a first African American was elected as the President of the United States.

Many good Afghans have died so that others can have the right to vote. Throwing this right away would make their deaths pointless and deny their children a future.

“Impress upon children the truth that the exercise of the elective franchise is a social duty of as solemn a nature as man can be called to perform; that a man may not innocently trifle with his vote; that every elector is a trustee as well for others as himself and that every measure he supports has an important bearing on the interests of others as well as on his own. "

- Daniel Webster

Exclusive interview with an Afghan civil society activist on the forthcoming Presidential election in Afghanistan

Millions of Afghans will be casting their ballots this coming August for its second Presidential election since the Taliban was ousted in 2001. Some remain sceptical as to whether the election will be free and fair while others remain hopeful and desperate to see a positive change in the future administration.

Election in Afghanistan remains as a key interest to me since I had worked for the first election administered jointly by the UN and Afghan Interim Electoral Commission back in 2003. I took this opportunity to carry out an interview with a former Afghan colleague (who wished to remain anonymous for valid security reasons) regarding the current election atmosphere in Afghanistan.

For those who have been following the political situation in Afghanistan closely, this will provide you with a general sense of what’s actually happening in the country right now.

Ka Ea: When is the Presidential Election going to happen?

Anonymous (A): The election has been scheduled for the 20 August 2009.

Ka Ea: I understand that there has been a significant delay on the originally planned election date. What has caused the delay?

A: According to Article 61 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the term of the incumbent President ends on 1^st Jawza (third month on the Afghan calendar) of the fifth year. Initially, President Karzai said that because the previous election was delayed, his term should go beyond the initial date set in the Constitution (“constitutional date”).

Later on, as the actual constitutional date drew closer, Karzai unexpectedly declared that he was agreeable to that date. By then, neither the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) nor the other candidates were prepared to run the campaign at such short notice and had to agree with his initial proposed extension date.

Karzai’s opponents accused him of deliberately prolonging his term so that he could make necessary arrangement to secure a re-election.

Ka Ea: I understand that the former interim electoral law drafted jointly by the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB, previously a UN and Afghan body managing the first election) has been revised and finalized by the Afghan Independent Electoral Commission. Can you explain a little bit about the new electoral law (including eligibility of voters)? Are there any significant changes? If yes, what are they?

A: There is no significant change in the law. However, there was a new law drafted and tabled for discussion at Parliament for nearly two years. The draft was very controversial and resulted in many months of boycott by almost half of the members of Parliament. This law was finally not approved.

Ka Ea: During the first election, the electoral campaign went on for 40 days. This time, it is 60 days. A normal standard is usually 30 days. Why is there an extended period for this election?

A: According to the IEC, this was decided on the basis of “inaccessibility” challenges in Afghanistan. Candidates are given more time to reach out to more people in remote and isolated areas.

Ka Ea: How many Presidential candidates are there in this election?

A: 41 candidates.

Ka Ea: Are there any female candidates? Who are they?

A: Yes, there are two this time as compared to only one in the last election. Frozan Fana (the widow of former Minister of Transport who was killed by angry Hajji’s at the airport*), and Shahla Atta (a current Member of Parliament). There are also five female Vice Presidential candidates.

* Hajji is a title given to a Muslim man who has performed his pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Abdul Rahman, the then Minister of Aviation and Tourism, was killed in a mob attack on his plane at Kabul airport on 14 February 2002. Witnesses and officials claimed that the pilgrims beat the Minister to death because they were angry at the latter’s failure to make necessary travel arrangement for their pilgrimage on time.

Ka Ea: In the last election, there are only 16 candidates. This year, there are more than 40. What do you think is the reason behind the significant increase in the number of candidates?

A: Well, I think there are four categories of candidates. 1) Serious candidates, 2) Candidates who have stood against Karzai in a bid to force the latter to appoint them in some positions in the next government, 3) Candidates who may have been encouraged by those in the first category to strategically step down in their favour during the run-up towards ballot day, and 4) Candidates who just want to be famous!

Ka Ea: I read that there are only 2 eligibility criteria to become a candidate for the election; one has to be an Afghan citizen and above 40 years old. I’ve read that many of them are illiterate. Is that true?

A: The eligibility criteria is very loose and basic, mainly an Afghan (borne of Afghan parents), above 40 years old, a Muslim and not convicted of crimes against humanity and deprivation of civil rights. As far as I know, all candidates have certain level of education, but most of them are by no mean fit for the Presidency job. They have no plan, no strategy, even no idea of what a Presidents’s job may require.

Ariana TV channel has organized a debate in which four or five presidential hopefuls are invited to debate issues (modelled after the US Presidential Debate). When you listen to them, most are not more than just ordinary people.

The other night, I was watching the program and one of the candidates was asked about the kind of political system he prefers for Afghanistan (as some candidates, like Dr. Abdullah has promised to replace the current Presidential system with a Parliamentary system in which a Prime Minister will be sharing power with the President). The candidate responded that he did not want any system in Afghanistan, he just wanted an Islamic State!

Ka Ea: What do you think should be some of the important criteria as a candidate?

A: I think a Presidential candidate should have certain important conditions; at least an average level of education, work experience, not being suspected for war crimes or crimes against humanity, etc.

Ka Ea: I understand there are three top contenders; Hamid Karzai, Former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani and Former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. Who do you think is the strongest amongst them in terms of popularity with the people and why?

A: Well, they are perhaps well known to the international community, but there are other less known candidates who have established strong popular base in Afghanistan; Dr. Ramazan Bashardost, the former Minister of Planning who resigned as a result of a controversy over the role of NGOs. He believed that most NGOs, including international NGOs were wasting funds donated by Western taxpayers to rebuild the lives of war-torn Afghans.

In a recent opinion poll carried out by a German-supported think-tank at Kabul University, Bashardost’s popularity is second after Karzai and followed by Abdullah and Ghani respectively.

So far in the eyes of many Afghans, Karzai is as they call it ‘khairul moujudin’, meaning the better amongst available options (lesser of two evils). Majority of people are not happy with his performance over the last seven years; his administration is seen by people as plagued by corruption, nepotism, favouritism, incompetency, impunity enjoyed by criminals, failure to reconstruct the country and failure to provide employment and security, amongst other things. But when they compare these shortcomings to Abdullah and Ghani, they still prefer Karzai.

The backgrounds of all candidates are known to the people and they judge them based on this. For instance, when Abdullah was Minister of Foreign Affairs, 97 percent of the ministry staff, including ambassadors and diplomats abroad were not only from one ethnicity (the Tajik) but from one small province in Panjsher. He was the spokesperson for Ahmad Shah Massoud’s Ministry of Defence during the civil war (1992-1996) when the country, including the capital, Kabul, was ruined and tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children were brutally massacred.

So for many people, Abdullah is a reminder of the dark days during the civil war and the exclusive sectarian policies of Shura-e-Nezar, the party to which he belonged.

Ghani, despite being an academic and internationally recognized personality also does not have good reputation inside Afghanistan. People judge on his performance at the Ministry of Finance and Kabul University where he was blamed for pursuing ethnic and linguistic policies. Therefore, Karzai continues to remain as the strongest.

Ka Ea: What do you think will be the changes brought by each candidate above, should he win the election?

A: From what I have seen in their campaign materials, I think Karzai will continue to largely pursue the same policy of the last seven years. He may try to win the war against some Taliban leaders, but I doubt he will be successful in that.

Abdullah has vowed to change the system from presidential to parliamentary.

Ghani has promised to create one million jobs and fight corruption.

Overall, I don’t think Afghanistan will be a better place under Abdullah and Ghani than under Karzai.

Ka Ea: There was a rumour before that former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, who is an Afghan American, was going to nominate himself as a candidate. Is this rumour true?

A: Yes, I think he intended to run as a candidate but he changed his mind at the very last moment. I don’t know why. It is said that Karzai promised him a new post (Chief Executive). This post does not exist now, but the Americans wanted to create the post in order to reduce the power of Karzai.

Initially, Karzai hinted to give the post to Khalilzad, but when the registration period of candidates had expired, he rejected the idea by declaring that the new President of Afghanistan will decide on this. So, there are suggestions that he has skilfully deceived Khalilzad!

Ka Ea: I understand that Karzai has nominated Mohammad Qasim Fahim as one of his Vice Presidents and this has caused a lot of criticism from human rights group. Can you talk a bit about Mohammad Qasim Fahimi?

A: Qasim Fahim is a notorious warlord who, according to documented reports by human rights organizations such as the Human Rights Watch, was directly responsible for a number of massacres in the 1990s, including the one in Afshar neighbourhood of Kabul where an entire ethnic Hazara minority community was wiped out by force under the command of Fahim. He has amassed a huge fortune out of war and owns many giant companies.

Ka Ea: Do you think the voters will vote according to ethnic line; Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek?

A: Yes, to some extent. Experience from the past has proven to the people of Afghanistan that politicians played the ethnic card only for their personal political interests rather than the benefit of their fellow ethnic groups, as claimed. So, many voters may vote for the candidates whom they expect to gain personal or communal benefit from while others will vote only for those with whom their influential elders have forged alliance, regardless of ethnicity.

As it stands now, almost all Uzbeks, at least half of Hazaras and Tajiks will vote for Karzai. Perhaps, 20 to 30 percent of Pashtuns may also vote for Karzai. It is very likely that there will be a run-off election. In that case, Karzai will win anyway.

Ka Ea: As I understand, Karzai is Pashtun himself. Why do you think he enjoys only 20 to 30 percent of the Pashtun’s support?

A: Yes, Karzai is Pashtun. But as it stands now, and it is of course subject to possible changes as we get closer to the polling day, many Pashtuns do not like him for many reasons.

He has chosen Mohammad Qasim Fahim as his first Vice Presidential running mate. Fahim is considered by Pashtuns as a close ally and commander of Ahmad Shah Massoud, whom Pashtuns as well as other ethnic groups regard as a cruel and brutal killer during the time of the civil war in the nineties. 2) Karzai is regarded by many Pashtuns incapable of stopping the killings of Pashtuns at the hands of the American military force in the southern part of the country. 3) Pashtuns themselves are divided into different strong tribal affiliations. Other rival Pashtun tribes support their own candidates, such as Ghani, Arsalah, Tanay, and many more. That's why it is very difficult for Karzai to win in the first round without the support from other ethnic groups, but it will be easy for him to win in the second round as he, by then, would probably be the only Pashtun candidate.

Other ethnic groups who may vote for less popular candidates in the first round are likely to vote for Karzai, should there be a run-off election.

Ka Ea: Can you talk a bit about the general campaign atmosphere in the country? Is there a general sense of intimidation?

A: Well, the campaign is not as heated as it was during the previous election. It is very slow and unenthusiastic. Huge posters on the streets and walls are the only visible sign of campaign so far.

So far, there is a sense of insecurity in many parts of the country where Taliban operates. There are few examples of intimidation by authorities also, but not a systematic phenomenon as yet.

Ka Ea: What changes do Afghans really want to see in the country especially with the new president?

A: They want security, job opportunities, reconstruction and above all, justice; things that have been missing so far.

Ka Ea: Do you think Obama’s administration has any impact on the election; e.g. influence on the candidate?

A: I don’t know really. These days, the US ambassador is meeting with Karzai’s opponents and attending press conference with them, which has outraged Karzai. I think it is very logical to say that US will have influence over any candidates who wins, because of their heavy involvement in the fight against Taliban and in financing reconstruction development projects.

Ka Ea: In the past, some parliamentary candidates, religious leaders (mullahs), governors have been killed for political and religious reasons, and even for supporting female candidacy? Is it the same now?

A: Yes, it is worse now. Many candidates, including women, are not able to travel to provinces and districts for campaigning because of insecurity. Interestingly, Bashardost is the only candidate who has so far gone to many provinces, including places with huge insurgent’s presence such as Laghman and Nangarhar.

Ka Ea: Since the last election, do you think that people have a better understanding about the election?

A: Of course, but this time they seem to have less motivation to vote.

Ka Ea: Why is there less motivation this time?

A: People are less motivated to vote because their aspirations have not been met by the current administration since the very first election. People now have less trust in the elections. The possibility of large-scale fraud and vote rigging has also demotivated people. Many people believe their vote may not change anything as the winner is already decided and he has made all arrangements for his victory.

Other reason is that in the first election, we had stronger candidates along ethnic lines; Hazaras had their own presidential candidate (Mohaqiq), Uzbeks had their own (General Dostum) and Tajiks had their own (Qanooni). But this time, Mohaqiq and Dostom have joined Karzai’s campaign team under a power-sharing deal.

Ka Ea: In the past, there were a lot of problems during the registration of voter due to the lack of official document to prove citizenship and age of voters. Is it the same this year during the registration period? Are there new challenges? What about participation of women in very conservative region like the South and South East?

A: There are lots of problems this time too. They have issued around 16 million voter registration cards (out of a total population of around 30-32 million). In many places, people have received multiple cards, sometimes in women’s names. For example, a man comes with a list of 10 women he claims are living in his household and receives cards for all of them!

Ka Ea: This year, it is a completely Afghanized process. What are the main challenges?

A: It is not actually a completely Afghanized process. All the money, logistics, procurement, etc. comes from the UNDP-ELECT project. Out of five members of the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), three are foreigners appointed by the United Nations. I think, we had a lot of challenges in the previous elections also but were swept under the carpet somehow.

Ka Ea: How many voters are expected to vote during the election? How many percent are women?

A: Around 16 millions. 35 percent are women.

Ka Ea: How many independent observers have registered for the election? Who are they?

A: Not known yet.

*************************************************************************************************************************

A special note of thanks goes out to my friend who had taken the time to prepare this interview in order to provide us with a clearer picture of what’s going on in Afghanistan during this time.

 

This interview was carried out on 13 July 2009 via email and first posted on Loyar Burok website on 23 July 2009.