If Hamid Karzai wins then most countries who have been working along with him will be comfortable. But with question marks on the validity of the election process, it is Afghan democracy which will suffer along with the faith of the Afghan people in the ability of democracy to bring orderly political change. The decision of the Afghan election commission along with the EU to order a second round of voting should be welcomed by all friends of Afghanistan. If Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is genuinely preferred by the people then it should be allowed to manifest thru the ballot box which will strengthen Afghanistan and its democracy in the long run. Otherwise there will be no difference from the past when rulers either came in thru coups or were installed by foreign powers. The international community must work and find comfort with the wishes of the Afghan people, only then will the country achieve long term stability and the faith of the people in democratic mechanism of governance. All the best to Afghanistan and to its friendly people. They of course require the best wishes of the international community since they have faced huge hardships in the last 3 decades because of outside interference.
