Praising the Afghanistan Elections

PRAISING THE AFGHANISTAN ELECTIONS -- (House of Representatives - September 22, 2005)

(Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, although the war on terror is far from over, this past weekend's successful elections in Afghanistan were a clear sign that we are on the right track in winning the war. More than 12 million people in Afghanistan stood strong in the face of the Taliban and voted in their parliamentary elections.

But we should not be surprised. Earlier this year, Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai came to Washington to ensure the American people that these elections would be a resounding success in the face of terrorists, and he was right.

Even though Taliban terrorists killed five candidates and four election workers leading up to the election and on Sunday murdered another 15 people, election turnout was still impressive. Despite the danger, the Afghani people's thirst for democracy was great. The vote was also a major milestone for Afghan women who have long been oppressed. There were 580 female candidates, or 10 percent of the total.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that the Afghanistan nation is strengthening and unifying the body of its parliament, allowing the Afghanistan citizens to operate as a collective action.

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