Five years ago, Afghans went to the polls and decisively pronounced Hamid Karzai their president. On Thursday, they're returning to the polls. This time, however, deep cynicism and a sense of hopelessness permeate the electoral mood, brought on by the fact that the government in Kabul has failed to deliver on its promises. In short, few Afghans can point to substantive changes for the better.
The markers that indicate the health and well-being of a state have either slipped in the past five years (maternal mortality rates, for instance) or flatlined (enrolment in primary education). Afghanistan is widely characterized as a “failing” state with an economy defined by its opium production and its dependency on aid from the international community. Widespread impunity, corruption and an embedded patronage system have also contributed to an entrenched political cynicism.
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