With the successful conclusion of the polling phase of the Afghan elections, attention now shifts to who might win and what the winner might do regarding some key policy issues. Very (very!) early trends suggest that Abdullah Abdullah is the front runner, but it will be a while before the dust settles on this one.
My take on the implications of the Afghan elections was published in Economic Times today and is reproduced below:
Afghan Polls Hold Hope; Real Test To Come When Taliban Step Up Their Attacks
The just-concluded Afghan elections surprised most
observers. The first surprise was that it was held at all because many had a
sneaking suspicion that President Hamid Karzai would find some excuse to
postpone or cancel the polls to hang on to power. He has already served two
terms and, under the Afghan constitution, cannot have a third term.
