www.IranDokht.com
2004-03-14

Barring unpleasant events and obstacles, elections for Afghanistan’s president will be held next spring. These elections will be unique in Afghanistan, because so far our country has not had free presidential elections in line with international standards. The shadow of autocracy, the use of force and the absence of rivals have so far deprived our country of the chance for a test of democracy and free elections ...

Afghanistan is a country that has been driven to destruction by foreign conspiracies over the past three decades. The damage to our national unity and solidarity has been one of the biggest losses inflicted on our country by the long-running wars. A nation that rose up in unison against occupation by the then superpower, the Soviet Union, was in the end shattered by ethnic divisions caused by foreigners’ conspiracies.

Fortunately, today the people of Afghanistan realise the depth of this catastrophe more than at any other time and know how much they benefited in those days form being united in the face of the common enemy, and how much they lost when they were caught in the trap of ethnic supremacy.

It is now up to our people to use their logic and wisdom and take their steps on the basis of democracy, without allowing any privileges based on ethnic, linguistic or religious considerations. Only then can we claim to have held a successful election to choose our future leader.

Any action taken in this regard on the basis of ethnic, linguistic or other divisive grounds shall divert us from the course of national unity and solidarity and it is clear that how harmful such an ominous development would be for our country’s present and its future.

Reported by: Seerat [Character] women’s weekly, No 109