This new era for Afghanistan has come at a cost --- The power-sharing deal hailed as a democratic breakthrough has left Afghans wondering what an election is for --- Many Afghans are scratching their heads trying to make sense of what has just happened in their country. What, some ask, was the point of the all-absorbing, expensive and divisive electoral exercise that has dominated the past six months? -- On Sunday the Afghan independent election commission declared Ashraf Ghani, former finance minister, the winner of the presidential elections. On the same day an agreement was signed between him and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, former foreign minister, to establish a government of national unity. -- The agreement promises to reduce the political uncertainty that has recently plagued Afghanistan. And the country can claim to have undergone its first peaceful democratic transition of power – a major achievement. -- The deal has been hailed by the US, the Europeans and neighbouring countries as a breakthrough, an essential step towards stability. Unsurprisingly, it has been denounced by the Taliban who view the elections as a sham and describe Ghani as “the new handpicked US employee in Kabul”. -- The focus will now be on whether the deal will hold, how senior posts will be allocated, and how the new government will work to deliver on promises made during the campaign. --- The audit was described by the UN as “unprecedented in international electoral practice” and unique in terms of its scale and depth. Its results have not been officially released. This was at the insistence of the Abdullah camp on the grounds that it would trigger violence, presumably as it shows that he lost by a substantial margin – as much as 45% to 55%. The agreement pre-empts the audit. The text reflects Ghani’s insistence upon constitutional rectitude while accommodating conflicting interests. -- It includes the creation by presidential decree of a post of chief executive officer, which Abdullah can fill, answerable to the president but with specific executive responsibilities; a loya jirga or assembly to consider the creation of a prime ministerial post; a constitutional review; electoral reform including issuance of electronic national ID cards to Afghan citizens; future elections including at the district level; and an understanding as to how senior officials will be chosen. --- For the US and its allies, the deal provides a basis for continued support to Afghanistan, not least to preserve the economic and security gains made at enormous expense, both human and financial, over the past decade. From Obama downwards, the US has invested significant political capital in making it happen. - Read More, Michael Keating , Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/25/afghanistan-new-era-come-cost-power-sharing-deal