The Independent Election Commission (IEC) is expected to announce the preliminary results of the September 28 presidential election today after almost a three-month delay due to allegations of fraud and technical problems. IEC not only could not abide by its election timeline but also repeatedly broke its promises to announce the election results. However, IEC is expected to honor its promise by declaring the results, thereby ending the wait of Afghan nation.
Once the initial results are out, the responsibility will shift to the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) which will be responsible for adjudicating complaints filed by presidential teams, election watchdogs and other organizations during and after the election. Since the previous presidential ballot was marred by massive technical problems and fraud, it is not an easy task for IECC to investigate all the documented complaints, but it is surely possible.
The IECC leadership should have learned a lesson from IEC’s failures and avoid repeating their mistakes. By playing an active role, IECC not only can clear the path for the announcement of final election results but can also restore the trust of people and presidential candidates in the election. The commission should address the complaints as such that not only will separate genuine and fraudulent votes but also convince the presidential teams that the final results are credible and transparent.
IECC is faced with a historic test, so its members need to realize their sensitive responsibility and not to forget the judgment of history and people while making decisions. Despite being unsure of transparency, people went to the polls in the previous presidential election to vote for their favorite candidate amid serious Taliban threats to voters and election workers for three weeks. The election commissions, especially IECC now, must respect the will of people, and pave the way for the announcement of transparent final results as soon as possible. Afghan people no longer can afford the current uncertain situation.
