Election Day has concluded in Afghanistan. While Hamid Karzai has led the country for the past ten years, term limits have kept him off the ballot this time around.
Voters say they’re excited about having a hand in the country’s future. Still, fears that violence will overshadow a democratic transfer of power haven’t gone away.
On Friday, an Afghan policeman opened fire on two Western female journalists, killing one of them. She is the third journalist to die in Afghanistan in the past month. There have also been some high-profile Taliban attacks leading up to the election. Analysts say the group could actually be a long-term concern for Karzai’s successor. But the most pressing issue for the next president is finalizing a security plan with the U.S. It will set the stage for almost everything including economic goals.
CCTV’s Sean Callebs reports from Kabul, where the significance of the deal isn’t just talk among politicians. Small business owners are watching it closely, too.