Electoral Systems in a Divided Society: The Case of Afghanistan

Electoral systems are the most powerful lever of political engineering for conflict resolution and shaping the content and practice of politics in divided societies, such as Afghanistan; and their design is highly sensitive to context. This paper explores the suitability of Afghanistan's electoral mechanisms in light of the nation's political system, social divisions, and the process, which led to their adoption. It is generally argued that an electoral system should not be viewed in isolation from its political consequences and that different electoral systems can aggravate or moderate tension and conflict in a society. Finally, this paper focuses on the role of electoral systems in efforts to mitigate election violence, contribute to the inclusion of all groups in decision making, and build sustainable democracy and national unity in ethnicallydivided societies such as Afghanistan