On August 20, the Afghan people went to the polls to vote in the country’s second presidential elections since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Despite record levels of voter registration, a heavy campaign of intimidation by insurgents is reported to have depressed turnout, and allegations of fraud in the run up to and conduct of the election have raised questions about how legitimate the eventual announcement of official results will be perceived by the Afghan people.
Please join the Center for American Progress for an assessment of the elections and their implications for the future Afghan government and U.S. policy in the region, featuring observations from international election monitors Eric Bjornlund and Brian Katulis and NPR National Security Correspondent Jackie Northam.
Full transcript available here.