Second Student Government Elected at AUAF
The campaign posters were up, the voting booths were open, and the excitement in the air was palpable as AUAF students went to the polls to elect representatives for the second Student Government Association.
Twenty spirited candidates, constituting nearly 10% of the undergraduate population, ran for various positions within the Student Government Association.
When the final vote count was released, successful candidates accepted effusive congratulations from their peers: Ali Babur Ghulam (President and Undergraduate Day Student Representative), Mohammad Behroozian & Mustafa Massoudi (Freshman Evening Students), Mustafa Eftekhari (Freshman Day Students), Aajan Toorialay & Masouma Maqsudi (Undergraduate Evening Students), Lais Osman (Business), Mukhtar Kakar(Information Technology and Computer Science), and Ali Aliwardak (Liberal Arts).
Strengthening Democracy
The Student Government Association is responsible for overseeing aspects of student life at AUAF, such as clubs, and liaising with the administration on issues related to students, such as academic grievances and fee structures.
As in other countries, elections are used to indoctrinate students into democratic behavior, both on the part of candidates and voters.
Entrenching democratic norms is particularly important in light of the scheduled presidential elections next year. Like AUAF’s elections, the 2009 presidential elections will be the second since Afghanistan’s 2004 Constitution came into force.
"Elections were transparent and a good experience," observed Roheed Razaqi, a freshman undergraduate student. "Campaigning was good at the beginning, with everybody expressing their opinions, but in the end I didn’t agree with some of the alliances formed."
In many ways AUAF’s student body can be viewed as a microcosm of larger society. Even in a relatively low-stakes election, political maneuvering occurred amongst candidates. Controversy erupted over allegations that some alliances were formed on grounds other than candidates’ public platforms.
Prior to election day, candidates were feverishly developing platforms, canvassing their classmates, developing campaign materials, and forming alliances with likeminded candidates.
"Energy, Enthusiasm, Excellence," proclaimed one campaign poster. "Excellence we can believe in," sounded another suspiciously familiar campaign slogan. One candidate cleverly rhymed out his platform: "I will get you better food/your complaints will be pursued…"
Voters played their part by questioning candidates, weighing options and finally, ensuring their opinions were represented at the ballot box.
"I would like to see the student government help students to solve academic problems and develop good relations with the administration," said Razaqi.
This is the second student government to be elected at AUAF. The first Student Government Association, led by Sayed Farhad Hashimi, was elected in the summer of 2007. Members of the first student government organized and conducted the recent elections under the supervision of staff and faculty.
