ghuinness
10-08-2004, 20:59
Polls are now open in Afghanistan.
They opened 5 minutes ago.
I had hoped Bush would say something specific during the debate.
First ever election after 25 years of war. ( I think I have that right).
Polls are now open in Afghanistan.
They opened 5 minutes ago.
I had hoped Bush would say something specific during the debate.
First ever election after 25 years of war. ( I think I have that right).
This is definitely a great historic moment for the people of Afghanistan. I am not sure they really know what it means to have a "free/electing" society after having been oppressed for the last "few" years. Time will tell if they can survive in more modern times.
Bush negated to use this last night as he will pocket it until his 3rd debate and then slam Kerry with it then. :lifter
ghuinness
10-09-2004, 17:25
Moqadasa Sidiqi
Huh?
So there has been a small boycott issue, and it might be Karzai, Qanooni or
one of the northern warlords. That name doesn't look familiar. Who is it?
AStan news is down until monday.... :(
NousDefionsDoc
10-09-2004, 19:01
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,134938,00.html
A 19-year-old Afghan refugee in Pakistan (search) became the election's first voter early Saturday, casting a ballot in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
"I cannot explain my feelings, just how happy I am," said Moqadasa Sidiqi, a science student whose family escaped Kabul in 1992 during the Afghan civil war. "I would never have thought I would be able to vote in this election."
Some 750,000 Afghan refugees registered to vote in Pakistan, and another 400,000-600,000 were eligible in Iran. Initial results were not expected until late Sunday or early Monday, but anything approaching a full count could take as much as two weeks.
While the Taliban threat of an overwhelming attack had not materialized by early Saturday, there were plenty of signs the rebel group was trying. On Friday, a bomb-sniffing dog in southern Kandahar discovered a fuel-truck rigged with anti-tank mines and laden with 10,000 gallons of gasoline.
Election officials arrested three Pakistanis and said they planned to detonate the truck in the center of the city on polling day.
"This would have caused hundreds of deaths ... and the electoral process would have been derailed in the area," said Col. Ishaq Paiman, the Defense Ministry deputy spokesman.
A flurry of rockets landed in several cities around the country on Thursday and Friday, including one that hit a parking lot near the U.S. Embassy, and another that injured a young girl and an old man in the eastern city of Jalalabad. Still, none threatened to derail the vote, and most Afghans brushed them off.
"In 25 years a lot of rockets have landed. If another one lands because of the election, it's no problem," said Noor Uddin, a 49-year-old Kabul businessman, on Friday. "(Saturday) is a happy and historic day. That's what is important."
Yay! I am happy for the people of Afghanistan. Population there is supposed to be 28.5 million, and maybe about 1/2 of them are voting age (I wonder what voting age is there). Since it looks like afghani refugees are able to vote as well, I hope they all get to vote. I bet they get a larger percentage to the polls than U.S.
Late to the party...but this is fabulous news.