For Immediate Release: May 22, 2013
Contact: Steven Ruder, 202-429-3825

(Washington) – Support for credible Afghan elections in 2014 should be the top priority of U.S. Afghanistan policy over the next year, according to Andrew Wilder, director of Afghanistan and Pakistan programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace, who told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that such support is the “single best opportunity to protect the tremendous achievements of the past decade.” 

Wilder testified yesterday on “Prospects for Afghanistan’s 2014 Elections” before the SFRC’s Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs.  

“We have prioritized this because we strongly believe that a credible election that produces a legitimate successor to President Karzai is the best way to promote peace and protect the tremendous achievements of the past decade,” he said. “This is the best way to promote the U.S. objective of a relatively stable Afghanistan that does not slide back into civil war, does not once again become a haven for transnational groups, and does not destabilize its neighbors, especially Pakistan.”

Wilder noted the possible major effects of a failed election, saying that “in spite of the problems that Afghanistan continues to face, its current constitution has held together a disparate group of political elites. Without legitimate elections next year the fabric of the constitution will be torn, and with it the existing consensus on how to allocate power and determine legitimacy. This would be tragic for Afghans, damaging to U.S. interests in the region, and would reinvigorate the Taliban insurgency.”

USIP has worked  in Afghanistan since 2002 with programs designed to improve understanding of conflict dynamics and peaceful dispute resolution mechanisms, support the work of civil society organizations to prevent and resolve conflict and promote the rule of law, and to advance peace education in schools and communities. More information about the Institute’s work in Afghanistan is available online.

The full text of Wilder’s testimony is available online.

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  The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan conflict management center created by Congress to prevent and mitigate international conflict through nonviolent means. USIP works to save lives, increase the government’s ability to deal with conflicts before they escalate, reduce government costs, and enhance national security. USIP is headquartered in Washington, DC. To learn more, visit www.usip.org.