We never lose hope: Kabul's youth speak out before Election Day

22 Jul 2009

We never lose hope: Kabul's youth speak out before Election Day

22 July 2009 - It's examination season at Kabul's oldest and most venerable public university.

 

Yet, the topic of conversation, among students, is hardly restricted to the realm of academics. Instead, along with algebra, pharmacy studies, and company law, conversations are diverse and can often veer toward President Karzai's campaign, election advertisements, and polling booths.

Kabul University's young minds may not all be gearing up to pick a president, which is only weeks away, on 20 August, but, undoubtedly, everybody you speak to has an opinion on the forthcoming polls.

Seated on an iron bench outside the Faculty of Computer Science, Mohammed Attiq, a second-year student, takes time off, just before a C++ test, to talk about the presidential elections.

"I'm very excited about these elections," he says. "I think the youth are excited. At least many of my friends are. After two or three decades of war, once again, we can select our own president—a person who we want to lead us."

Attiq, who is 20 years old, wears a branded tee-shirt and Nike sneakers, however, is still unsure about whom he will vote for. He wants a president who "will re-build Afghanistan", he tells UNAMA. "At the moment, there are three candidates that I favour. I will hear (some of) their speeches and then decide."

Seated with Attiq, Bahirullah Alkozai, a possible first-time voter, doesn't quite share his friend's enthusiasm. "I don't think any of the candidates can make a difference or give us change. I will not vote," he says in Dari.

During this interview, a student in his early 20s, who was observing this conversation from a distance, heckles at Attiq’s group. "All the candidates are puppets of the West," he proffers aloud. Initially hesitant to articulate his views, he later inexplicably changes his mind and decides talk.

"This is all a drama," Khozanai Siddiqui says, his voice slightly raised, as his classmates gather around to listen. "We don't need elections right now. We have many problems in Afghanistan. In my opinion, instead of elections right now, we need the resolving of peace between the Taliban and our government. This is more important than elections!"

Among voters across Afghanistan, particularly the younger ones, seemingly, 'security' has gained primacy over the other issues this election.

"There are many blasts and suicide attacks. The security problem in Helmand is a big issue," Siddiqui adds. Attiq, the science student, too, agrees. "For me the only important issue is the security problem. Thousands of people are against this election. They (the terrorists) can create security problems."

At a time when the world, including Afghanistan, is deeply embroiled in a recession, quite naturally, issues related to the economy also resonate on this campus. "The big issue for me this election is the economy," says Masood Ahmad, a 26-year-old student of the School of Islamic Law, which is just down the road from the Science faculty.

Ahmad, who nurtures a full beard, smiles copiously, and dresses in an Afghan Shalmar Kameez – in contrast to the jeans and tee shirts worn by many of the other students – is a mullah, who believes he will eventually pick the candidate that "foresees the economic future of the country."

"When the economy is weak we can't progress," he adds in chaste English, taking mild umbrage when I initially ask if he needs a translator. "Any candidate must discover ways to develop economic growth."

Like in most parts of this world, the men and women students of Kabul University assemble in distinct clusters. They may stand separately on campus, but their positions, at least politically, are not too dissimilar. "I will be voting for the first time this year," says Zohal, a 20-year-old student, who offered to introduce us to some of her female classmates. "I want an honest president who will serve our country. Besides the economy, I want him to take care of students who attend university and (focus on) the rights of women."

In an election, where issues surrounding women should ideally matter to them, especially when two of the 41 candidates, albeit a minority, are women, not everybody is convinced of the need to participate.

Fatima, a computer science student, for example, will not vote, since she does not believe any candidate addresses her needs. "I am not satisfied with what I have heard," she says in Dari. "I have heard their interviews and I am not impressed."

After speaking to students across the university, one gets the feeling that a modest number of young voters are either undecided about whom they are going to cheer for or, simply, unhappy about the choice of presidential aspirants.

This somewhat insouciance – that partly stems out of the opinion that politicians are corrupt, combined with platitudinous campaign messaging – therefore, does not augur well for candidates, who are counting on these very voters – 60 per cent of the population is under the age of 30 – to make an appearance at the polling booths on Election Day.

Candidates like Dr Ramzan Bashardost, Dr Ashraf Ghani, and Dr Abdullah Abdullah have made concerted efforts this election to court this critical segment of the electorate through, both, conventional – visits to universities – and unconventional – hosting websites, using social networking tools, and mobile telephony – means.

“He has held over 60 small events…to get them (youth) organized and mobilized on Election Day,” Dr Ghani’s campaign team tells UNAMA. “(He) received the endorsement of the Afghan Youth National and Social Organisation (AYNSO)… an organization (which) has 17,000 members and has the capacity to reach and build contacts with…more youth around Afghanistan.”

Dr Bashardost, an independent candidate and a sitting member of parliament, admits there is some level of unhappiness, but assails the accusation that all candidates are the same. “I have been to universities in Kabul, Kapisa, Nanhagar and other places. They believe that I can change things. There is a minority that is unhappy, but I speak to this minority and I tell them more about me. I tell them: ‘I am clean. I don’t have bodyguards…I haven’t built a palace for me.’ They can see that not every politician is corrupt…not every candidate is the same.”

Conveying this message and, more importantly, convincing Afghanistan’s young blood – who refuse to acquiesce to everything that politicians throw at them – to participate in this election, is, however, going to be difficult for the 41 presidential candidates.

It's not going to be impossible though. Voters like Ahmad, the mullah, acknowledge they will vote despite the fact that they're not happy about the present scenario. And what will be the motivation? "Hope," he says. "We never lose hope."

By Aditya Mehta, UNAMA