COUNTRY	Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan
ELECTION TYPE	Presidential
DATE	October 9, 2004

• The office of the president of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan.

• Chief of State & Head of Government: President Hamid KARZAI
• Assembly: Under the new constitution, Afghanistan will have a bicameral National Assembly which consists of the House of People (Wolesi Jirga) with at maximum 250 seats, and the House of Elders (Meshrano Jirga) which will have a representative from each provincial and district councils as well as presidential nominees. *

*Note: Afghanistan will not have a functioning assembly until January 2004. In the interim, the Emergency Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) acts as the country’s parliamentary body.

• Under the newly approved constitution, the president and his two vice presidents are elected into office via direct popular vote to serve five-year terms.
• Members of the House of People are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms while members of the House of Elders will be chosen by their provincial and district councils. The president will also be allowed to nominate candidates to the House of Elders.*

*Note: Amongst the nominees include two representatives of the Kuchi community, two representatives for the disabled, and it is required that half the nominees are women.

• Presidential Candidate: Hamid KARZAI
  Party: Independent
  Total Valid Votes: 4,397,306
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 55.49%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Mohammad Yunos QANUNI
  Party: National Movement of Afghanistan
  Total Valid Votes: 1,283,952
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 16.20%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Hahi Mohammad MOHAQIQ
  Party: Independent (but is the party leader of the Islamic Unity Party of the People of Afghanistan)
  Total Valid Votes: 923,756
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 11.66%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Abdul Rashid DOSTUM
  Party: Independent (but is leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan)
  Total Valid Votes: 802,633
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 10.13%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Abdul Latif PIDRAM
  Party: National Congress Party of Afghanistan
  Total Valid Votes: 100,446
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 1.27%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Masooda JALAL
  Party: Independent
  Total Valid Votes: 88,397
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 1.12%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Sayed Ashaq GILANI
  Party: National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan
  Total Valid Votes: 78,922
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 1.00%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Ahmad Shah AHMADZAI
  Party: Independent (Islamic Call Organization of Afghanistan)
  Total Valid Votes: 59,545
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.75%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Abdul Satar SIRAT
  Party: Independent
  Total Valid Votes: 29,677
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.37%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Homayoon Shah AASIFI
  Party: Independent (though closely identified with the National Unity Movement)
  Total Valid Votes: 25,881
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.33%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Ghulam Farooq NEJRABI
  Party: Afghanistan Independence Party
  Total Valid Votes: 24,083
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.30%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Sayed Abdul Hadi DABIR
  Party: Independent
  Total Valid Votes: 23,763
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.30%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Abdul Hafiz MANSOOR
  Party: Independent (but is a member of the Burhanuddin Rabbani's Islamic Society of Afghanistan)
  Total Valid Votes: 19,394
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.24%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Abdul Hadi KHALILZAI
  Party: Independent
  Total Valid Votes: 17,991
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.23%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Mir Mahfuz NEDAHI
  Party: Independent
  Total Valid Votes: 15,720
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.20%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Mohammad Abrahim RASHID
  Party: Independent
  Total Valid Votes: 13,603
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.17%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Wakil MANGAL
  Party: Independent
  Total Valid Votes: 11,369
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.14%
  
  
• Presidential Candidate: Abdul Hasib AARIAN
  Party: Independent
  Total Valid Votes: 8,232
  Percentage of Valid Votes: 0.10%

• This was the first time Afghanistan will hold presidential elections since the establishment of the transitional government.

• Population: 28,513,677 (July 2004 estimate)
• Number of registered voters: 9,716,413 (Based on the September 30, 2004 official release)

• This was the first elections held in Afghanistan since the creation of the interim government.
• Major issues that surrounded the election included security for voters and candidates, fair access for all candidates to state-run media, and overall stabilization of the country.
• According to the new electoral rules, a candidate must win at least 51% of the valid votes in the first round to avoid a potential run-off.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: IFES ELECTIONGUIDE ONLINE