Can Afghanistan be a Democracy? The Problem of Political Parties
CDI Associate Dr Norm Kelly travelled to Afghanistan in February to conduct an assessment of Afghan political parties, ahead of the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in 2009 and 2010. Dr Kelly's assessment focussed on identifying the core needs of political parties in Afghanistan in terms of international assistance. This work was supported by the Washington-based National Democratic Institute (NDI), one of CDI's key international partner organisations.
Dr Kelly presented a public lecture on his findings and the current state of political parties in the lead-up to elections in Afghanistan at ANU on 1 April. Dr Kelly provided an overview of the country's electoral system, the ethnic make-up of Afghanistan that has such an influence on Afghan politics, and the current party system. He discussed the prospects for achieving a strong party system in the country, and the implications for this year's presidential election and the national assembly elections due to be held in 2010.
You can read a full account of Dr Kelly's work in Afghanistan in a feature article published both in the Canberra Times, and on the Inside Story website. Click on these links for all the details:
