THE OBSERVER documents the complex and sometimes dangerous work of election observers in Asia, and the trials of a young and inexperienced Muslim man who joins an election mission to Afghanistan. With reservations about the legitimacy of the process, Muhammad Badrul Hisham Bin Ismail sets out from Malaysia on a risk-filled mission to observe the country's first parliamentary election in over 25 years.

Skeptical yet curious, inexperienced but committed - Badrul will be a newcomer to observing the democratic process as it plays out against the chaotic backdrop of Afghanistan. As the international donors gather and the election campaign builds, the Afghan people’s expectations grow with them. But in an impoverished, war-ravaged country, who will be there to protect the average voter? Will anyone be watching? Badrul and his teammates’ desire for progress in Afghanistan will lead them to ask some hard questions about world affairs, international development and democratization, and ultimately uncover some unexpected truths - about Afghanistan and about themselves.