Afghanistan

Siddiq Siddiqi is a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior and head of its public relations unit. He is young, hardworking, serious, and optimistic about Afghanistan’s future. His focus is very much on bringing young people into politics.

Dr Faramarz Tamana is Head of the Strategic Studies Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also leads the Afghanistan Institute of Higher Education and teaches International Relations.

Duniya Mohsini is a university lecturer. She has been teaching for the last 12 years and is much liked by her students. Currently, she is doing a Ph.D. course in literature at a university in Tajikistan. She has been a frequent contributor to Rah-e Madaniyat Daily.  

What can we make out of a deadlocked electoral result, with seemingly contradictory stories from the candidates? A graphical analysis shows: Ghani's second round numerical victory was brought about by finding 1.3 million new votes and depositing them in key spots.

Officially there are no legal obstacles to women participating in politics in Afghanistan. However only one woman registered as a presidential candidate among many men, making discrimination against women in Afghan politics obvious.

Yaseen Samim is a politician and the spokesperson for the "Solidarity Network for Change". He hopes for the engagement of the new generation and a professionalization of politics in Afghanistan.

Basigul Sharifi writes poems about love and tragedy in life. She has experienced the life of a refugee and is a sensitive, calm but highly motivated person. In the interview she talks to us about poetry, peace and suffering.

Jawad Jawed is head of public relations at the Office of Administrative Affairs. We talked to Jawad as part of our feature on 'Young Politicians.'

The Karzai era has been given a moderate appraisal. But the Afghan president alone isn't responsible for everything he's being accused of. The West must take part of the blame too.

Video: Masood Karokhail is a founding member and now the director of The Liaison Office (TLO) in Kabul, Afghanistan. Mr. Karokhail is an expert on governance, tribal issues, and the political economy of Afghanistan and has authored and co- authored numerous articles on these subjects.

Nargis Nehan, director of Equality for Peace and Democracy speaks about the election process, requirements for a sustainable political settlement process and the need for Afghan civil society to support the new administration and the national security forces.

Simia Ramish is a civil rights activist and journalist. As a candidate in the Herat provincial council election she aims to play an active role in politics. In this interview she explains her goals and wishes for Afghanistan.

Habibullah Haqtash is a young candidate for the Kabul provincial council election. He studied political science at Kateb University and is active in social and cultural affairs. We spoke with him about his wishes and dreams for Afghanistan.

Days before the presidential elections in Afghanistan much is discussed amongst the candidates: foreign policies, economic development and reconstruction of the country. No or little attention is being paid to environmental protection, neither from the candidates nor from the people.

Days before the presidential elections in Afghanistan much is discussed amongst the candidates: foreign policies, economic development and reconstruction of the country. No or little attention is being paid to environmental protection, neither from the candidates nor from the people.

11 candidates were approved by the Afghan Election Commission to compete in the presidential elections in Afghanistan on May 3rd. Here's an overview on the three candidates with the highest chances of winning.

Hameeda is a candidate in the Kabul provincial council election. The 26 year-old student has studied international relations and is currently studying gynaecology. She’s a firm advocate of women’s rights.

Moeed Yusuf is director of the South Asia programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace and have been engaged in expanding the institute’s work on Pakistan/South Asia since 2010. In this interview he talks about his publication "Getting it Right in Afghanistan" and the difficult relationship between Afghanistan und Pakistan.

Even though Afghanistan has a long track record of ballot stuffing, electoral fraud, and general impunity for well-connected and well-armed lawbreakers, there are limits to the lengths to which a candidate may go in seeking victory. To win in an Afghan election, one must engage in large scale vote-buying, collusion or corruption.