"At last, we are human!" rejoiced an elderly Afghan woman, sheltering from a gritty gale as she waited to vote in Kandahar on October 9th. Her enthusiasm was understandable. The clouds of sand swirling a cross Afghanistan delivered little of the horror grimly predicted for the country's first presidential election. Three policemen were murdered in southern Uruz-gan province, a Taliban stronghold. Two days later, a youth was killed in Kabul by a rocket. But most Afghans cast their ballots unimpeded by death threats. Their delight as they did so was thrilling, and turnout seemed generally high. Little is yet certain about an election that was hardly observed by foreign experts, except this: for the first time in Afghanistan's history, the country's next leader will be the people's choice.
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