Good news from Afghanistan...

Many of the candidates who had earlier responded to fears of electoral fraud with a boycott have now decided to accept the results of a UN inquiry. This is definately good news. The allegations of fraud and the boycott threaten to tarnish the legitimacy of whatever government is finally elected, and undermine the whole project of moving to a democratic constitution. The candidates placing their trust in an investigation by international observers, in the process, in the idea of the rule of law rather than force makes it far more likely that democracy will stick.