Sylvia's Journal

Axel found himself this morning running into one of many holy book-burning demonstrations that have attracted crowds in various parts of the country. It was a little unexpected, since we thought that the fire behind the protest had died down now that it is a non event. It was a bit unsettling, he emailed me later, to have been this close to such organized anger. The driver turned around and everything ended OK. Later things turned a little ugly and people (Afghans) got hurt because of an overzealous police force.

This morning I met with all my direct reports to find out which of the activities on my handover notes were completed, which were not, where things had stalled and what was new. I got an earful about the custom clearance obstacles for the pharmaceuticals which the friendly and generous people of the United States are donating to this country.

Much of the hassle is simply petty corruption, with various government workers delaying things until permits expire. This then creates new opportunities for getting some extra pocket money. The number of pieces of papers required to clear everything is dazzling. This is the small fry stuff that cannot be solved until people earn living wages. It’s not what makes the news headlines but it can create major headaches for people trying to follow the rules.

With hundreds of thousands of dollars in pharmaceutical products at stake, and by extension the health of the people for whom the products are destined, the job of freeing the drugs before they get too hot or too cold is tough. That we get everything cleared at all is a miracle. The cost is much shoe leather burned and interrupted days and nights when things need to be loaded on trucks or off trucks at a moment’s notice. I learn that, in the end, it is the relationships with the honest people in the various departments that save the day.

Back home after work I watched how the people of Afghanistan are being educated about the parliamentary elections. All the stops have been pulled out: elaborate skits, funny and serious, simulated election procedures, lectures for by men for men, by women for women, celebrities and kids pleading to do the right thing, even God is invoked to make these elections a success. In between the educational messages candidates pitch last minute pleas at undecided voters.

What’s problematic is that many candidates belong in prison; in this respect not much has changed since the 2005 elections when, according to AREU, a reputable local research organization, the winners included 40 commanders at the time associated with armed groups, 24 members of criminal gangs, 17 drug traffickers and 19 who then, and if they are running again presumably still, face serious allegations of war crimes and human rights violations. From what I hear around me this keeps people away from the polling stations. Why put a crook in parliament?

Axel reminded me that the earliest elections in the brand new US were probably not that different. Few candidates had clean hands. A democracy needs an educated electorate that can distinguish fact from fiction and recognize easy promises for what they are – educating the public took a few hundred years.