Move Over Warlords, Here Come Afghanistan’s Youth
Afghanistan’s election was a battle between “the narrative of past glory of war and the new narrative of the glory of democracy.”
KABUL – Clad in a blue headscarf, Saleha Soadat appeared on campaign posters around the Afghan capital, Kabul. She was running for a seat in Afghanistan’s parliament.
A former journalist, Soadat was among hundreds of young candidates – journalists, entrepreneurs, government employees, and civil society activists – that were competing for 249 parliament seats, a wave of young people that injected hope into the electoral process: Hope for change and hope to move past the country's warlord-dominated political landscape.
“I voted to see change,” says Mohammad Imran, a 20-year-old voter from Paktia province, in the eastern region of Afghanistan. “I voted for a young candidate who holds a Masters degree.”
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SubscribeThe Authors
Ezzatullah Mehrdad is a freelance journalist based in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he produces long features and explanatory articles, focusing on politics and policy, development, human rights and realities of life in Afghanistan today.