ABSTRACT
This chapter explores one particular set of reasons why Afghanistan's transition has run into difficulty, and argues that it reflects a general failure to appreciate the limits of democratic choice mechanisms as devices for generating political legitimacy in certain kinds of situations. It shows why legitimation of institutions is a key element of statebuilding. The chapter outlines how the development of the idea of a 'right to democratic governance' has subtly driven statebuilding exercises, especially under UN auspices or with UN backing, in the direction of electoral politics. It sets out some reasons why this may be less than desirable, given both the divisive character of elections, and the need to nest electoral processes in a framework of norms and structures that deliver security and accountability. The chapter discusses a number of consequent imbalances in the Afghan transition, especially arising from an overestimation of the force of electoral success as a source of political legitimacy in Afghanistan.
