Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 04/2014

Why Afghanistan's Provincial Council Elections Matter

Anna Larson, Noah Coburn

March 2014

United States Institute of Peace

Abstract

With elections scheduled for April 5, Afghanistan’s Provincial Councils offer one of the best hopes for the future of local democracy in the country. The significance of Provincial Councils, including creating an opportunity for a new generation of young Afghans to begin political careers, has often been overlooked but has steadily increased.