Despite the bitter experience of previous elections, Afghan people once again proved on Saturday and Sunday that they strongly believe in the democratic process. They turned out in unexpectedly large numbers to vote in the country’s third parliamentary election since the ouster of the Taliban regime, in the face of serious security threats as well as doubts and questions surrounding the transparency of the poll. The general assumption was that Taliban threats and recent tragic incidents would prevent voters from going to the polls, but the nation once more showed that they have the potential and determination to stand on their own feet. In many areas where the polling centers were open, voters had queued up at the crack of dawn before the election employees arrived in the polling centers. This showed that Afghan people are committed to shaping their future, and stand ready to pay any price to accomplish this goal.
In spite of the unanticipated high voter turnout, the election was unfortunately marred by mismanagement, as usual. Contrary to its claims of being fully prepared for the ballot, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) failed to properly manage the election. While it was expected that there will be some issues with the first-ever use of biometric technology for election, there were some logistical problems which could be prevented with appropriate preparation. The sensitive election materials had not been sent to some polling centers on time in capital Kabul besides other provinces, while many polling stations opened late due to problems with the biometric voter system or late arrival of IEC staff, thereby delaying the voting by a few hours. The IEC therefore decided to extend voting in some polling centers until 8pm Saturday, and in over 400 polling sites to Sunday. Another problem was with voters lists. Some voters could not find their names on the voters’ lists of polling sites where they had registered. It was a common problem affecting the process. Still, people waited for hours and never lost hope until they finally exercised their franchise.
Regardless of all the flaws, the Saturday ballot was a positive experience and step towards institutionalizing democracy in the country. The election commissions and government must learn important lessons from the existing deficiencies to avoid their repeat in the future. The high voter turnout sends a clear message that Afghan people still view election as the only way to choose their leaders. No doubt Afghans are faced with enormous challenges and miseries, but they are not ready to lose the existing gains at any cost.
