Scott Worden

Scott Worden is senior rule of law advisor at the United States Institute of Peace. He served as one of three UN-appointed commissioners on the Afghanistan Electoral Complaints Commission during the 2009 presidential and provincial-council elections. This essay contains his personal views and does not necessarily represent those of the UN or the U.S. Institute of Peace.

July 2010, Volume 21, Issue 3

Afghanistan & Iraq: Afghanistan—An Election Gone Awry

The 2009 vote for the presidency and local councils was marred by fraud, provoking a political crisis and casting a deep shadow over upcoming parliamentary elections. The Afghan experience calls into question whether voting should occur before other essential reforms are in place.