Peter Galbraith reflects on the declaration of Karzai's victory as a "farce and failure," warns that Afghanistan has lost its legitimacy in the West, and grimly questions the purpose now of sending more troops.

The decision by the main Afghan presidential challenger to drop out of the runoff contest raises new doubts about incumbent Hamid Karzai's viability as partner in the U.S. effort to counter Taliban forces in increasingly shaky Afghanistan.

Christopher Sabatini, a Latin America expert, says the apparent resolution of the Honduran political crisis--triggered in part by concerns over Hugo Chavez's influence--marks a triumph for Obama administration diplomacy.

Afghanistan expert Thomas H. Johnson says Western efforts to force a runoff election will not produce a legitimate leader in the eyes of Afghan voters, and could further destabilize the country.

Expert Peter M. Manikas says a fresh round of presidential voting may be the only way to enhance legitimacy in Kabul despite the monumental challenges involved in staging a secure runoff election.

Middle East expert Joost Hiltermann says Iraq appears headed for an uncertain, and potentially violent, political season with no clear dominant faction emerging ahead of January parliamentary elections.

Peter Galbraith exposes his side of the Afghan electoral fraud story, and comments on his perceptions of the real reasons behind his termination from the post of UN deputy special representative in Afghanistan last week.

Joshua Kurlantzick comments that the recent reelection of President Yudhoyono was "only the capstone of a triumphant decade for Indonesia."

Laura Secor describes Iran's show trials for politicians, students, and activists accused of colluding with foreigners in the aftermath of the disputed presidential elections.

Electoral politics in Japan have been upended with the defeat of the long-governing Liberal Democratic Party. CFR's Sheila Smith says the rise of the Democratic Party of Japan could test the U.S.-Japan alliance and advises U.S. policymakers to focus on economic and energy-related cooperation.

Mary Kissel writes that the reform agenda of the opposition DPJ party and its leader, Yukio Hatoyama, should not be carried out at the expense of a strong alliance with the United States.

Tobias Harris explains how Ichirio Ozawa, former Democratic Party of Japan president, is behind the rise of the recently victorious opposition party.

Listen to Senior Fellow for Japan Studies Sheila Smith give a preview of the parliamentary election to take place in Japan on August 30, and discuss its potential outcomes for both Japan and the United States.

Sheila Smith previews Japan's August 30th parliamentary election and the prospect of an historical win by the opposition DPJ.

Opposition victory in Japan's 2009 parliamentary election served as a watershed moment in the country's electoral politics. Analysts say political change in Tokyo could result in a possible shift in its close relationship with the United States, especially in security matters.

Yukio Hatoyama, head of the victorious Democratic Party of Japan, outlines his party's philosophy of tempering the pitfalls of market capitalism with the French concept of fraternity, and of moving toward regional integration and collective security in Asia.

Elizabeth Rubin, a journalist who has reported extensively on Afghanistan, says beyond the presidential elections, U.S. officials must become more closely involved in improving Afghan governance or face failure there.

Pakistan's interest in the Afghan presidential elections lies in an outcome yielding a legitimate government that brings stability to Afghanistan, says CFR's Dan Markey.

Ahmed Rashid, a leading expert on Afghanistan, says the August 20 presidential election in Afghanistan is "critically important" to achieving political stability, but he worries the vote will trigger controversy.

Regardless of the victor in this week's Afghan presidential elections, some analysts say Western forces must remain committed to the counterinsurgency effort to strengthen the state against a growing Taliban threat.