Almost every Afghanistan expert predicted that Karzai would win in the months preceding the election. It really was his to lose... So why did he and his supporters engage in so much fraud?

It is important to remember that Karzai was elevated from relative obscurity and initially installed in power by the United States. He never had any popular legitimacy with the people of Afghanistan. He was favored by the US because of his Western orientation and pliability. Thus, his power derived from his linkages with the US. When those ties were threatened by potential rivals, it was not surprising that he resorted to underhanded means to steal the election.

Labels: afghanistan, elections