Seven million people voted in the Afghanistan presidential election last week many showing off their relatively new rights with a finger dipped in purple ink.
The purple finger is a primitive method of voted identification, but it’s works now for Afghanistan and other parts of the world where the right to vote isn’t taken for granted.
Images of voters showing off the purple finger have proliferated media since the 2004 parliamentary elections in Iraq.
10 years later these pictures are a purple reminder of how good we have it on this side of the world.
Former World Bank member and leading presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani encouraged Afghan’s to vote on his Facebook page with a familiar symbol:
The Afghan election in 2009 was marred by fraud and accusations of ballot box stuffing. None of the realistic candidates have disputed results so far.
Afghan and Western leaders praise turnout in #AfghanElections, describing vote as success https://t.co/v2kHle5BDw pic.twitter.com/uCnGdIIygq
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 6, 2014
In a country where women were once severely oppressed and denied basic human rights, they now make up 34% of the turnout.
A fantastic series of images from @TheWilsonCenter for the #AfghanElections: https://t.co/kfqWjr6Ehw pic.twitter.com/l249hF4Qjc
— Andrew Reddie (@areddie89) April 5, 2014
The election is being held to select a successor to Hamid Karzai who has presided over a country at war for over a decade.
El Prez voted too.
President Hamid Karzai casts his vote in. #AfghanElections pic.twitter.com/6En83DGMoB
— Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) April 5, 2014
The next generation in Afghanistan living free of Taliban rule.
Women show that they've voted in#afghanistan #AfghanElections pic.twitter.com/YME8n0Kpo6
— TE♏️OR (@Temorn) April 5, 2014
Afghanistan is still a country of deep unrest where terror groups have compromised security forces and turned them rogue.
Veteran AP photojournalist Anja Niedringhaus was killed last week in Afghanistan when a police officer opened fire on her as she sat in the back seat of a vehicle.
Niedringhaus was in Afghanistan photographing the country in the lead-up to the historic elections.
Afghan National Security Forces not only successfully held security on Election Day, but also voted. #AfghanElections pic.twitter.com/oqd1b9ciL3
— Malali Bashir (@MalaliBashir) April 8, 2014
This man had his finger severed by the Taliban after voting in 2009 elections. He’s back for more 5 years later. A very brave soul whose actions stand for democracy.
Lost finger in previous election, again appeared in polling station to vote: pic.twitter.com/eO4q8qpcgp
— Mohammad sharif (@MSharifH2825996) April 5, 2014
This cartoon represents, essentially, what the purple finger means to the former regime.
One of the best statements of the past decade #AfghanElections pic.twitter.com/3rFrQ09G5v
— John J (@ARMYJJKS) April 5, 2014
Here in the U.S. we get a sticker for voting. In Afghanistan a little ink on the finger. No difference really.
Images of Afghans turning out to vote in historic #AfghanElections https://t.co/AucfkuKRaN pic.twitter.com/9LElCiWFj0
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 5, 2014
In order to win candidates must get 50% of the vote. Experts predict that no candidate will attain the number which will force a run-off election on May 28th.
Give us strength to pull through! <3
#AfghanElections #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/mNfwLkRaGo
— Yas (@YasaminRahmani) April 5, 2014
Barrack Obama called the Aghanistan elections critical to securing the countries democratic future.
[Image Credit: U.S. Army Garrison – Miami]
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