Publication

This paper looks at Afghanistan’s Provincial Councils (PCs), arguing that they represent one of the best hopes for the future of local democracy in the country. It argues that since their formation in 2005, the PCs continue to be overlooked by international actors who prefer to interact with parliamentarians, ministers and appointed governors. Nevertheless, it reports that Afghans have steadily assigned greater significance to winning PC seats over the last decade and suggests that the April 2014 PC elections will do more than the presidential poll to determine whether democratic practices continue to take root in local politics.