The Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced the preliminary results of parliamentary election for five provinces on Friday. The results were from Farah, Uruzgan, Jawzjan, Daikundi and Bamyan. According to the parliamentary election timetable, the election result should have been announced on October 28, but was delayed due to a recount of votes of some provinces.
The announcement of partial results is, however, a laudable but flawed step. In addition to its failure to properly manage the democratic process on the voting day, the IEC could not announce the results as per the schedule. The election commission’s inability to implement the schedule raises doubts about its willingness to ensure transparency in the poll. Moreover, the longer the announcement of election results is postponed, the more the chances for candidates, who have not secured enough votes, but claim victory, to create trouble. Such fear particularly stems from the 2014 controversial presidential election. It is right that accuracy and transparency in election, as in any other affair, should not be sacrificed for speed, yet any delay under the pretext of ensuring transparency should not pave the way for fraud.
Another problem of delaying the announcement of parliamentary election results is the impact on 2019 presidential election. While both the government and election commission insist on holding the presidential election on time, the postponement of the results of parliamentary election has adversely affected the arrangements for presidential election. IEC is yet to reveal the presidential election timetable despite repeated promises. Although the ongoing peace talks are also said to be one factor for the postponement, the announcement of parliamentary election results may be the main reason considering the government and IEC’s insistence on timely presidential election.
The Independent Election Commission should, in the light of the tight timeframe it has for the presidential election, take steps that not only lead to timely and transparent announcement of Wolesi Jirga election results, but also prevent any delay in the presidential election, for which the election commission has already lost a lot of time to prepare. The commission should not allow ensuring its failure again by being bogged down in the parliamentary election.
