Afghanistan is teetering on the brink of yet another election crisis. The preliminary results of presidential election are yet to be announced over a month after the ballot was held. There are doubts the Independent Election Commission (IEC) will be able to reveal the initial results on the date it announced after failing to conform to its original timeline because some election commissioners say it is impossible to make the announcement on November 14. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abdullah’s Stability and Convergence ticket boycotted the vote recount. This comes as IEC on Saturday began the deployment of teams and necessary resources to provinces across the country to initiate the recounting and audit process.
The philosophy of election is strengthening the foundation of the democratic system in the country, and all election stakeholders should remain committed to that principle. Election should bring together than divide the nation. The situation in Afghanistan is delicate, and all actors from the electoral commissions to the presidential tickets must realize the delicacy and therefore act responsibly. The irresponsible behavior of election stakeholders will plunge the country into a simmering political crisis, a scenario that Afghan people cannot afford at this critical juncture. The country is grappling with a lot of other problems such as insecurity, economic constraints, a sense of public despair, etc which can only be tackled with statesmanship and responsible behavior of political leaders.
Given the critical conditions the country is currently going through, all electoral stakeholders must avoid letting the country descending into a crisis such as the one emerged in the wake of the 2014 presidential election. Both the electoral bodies and presidential teams must respect the votes of people, and the election commissions must have the courage to announce the transparent election results. People want the outcome of their votes, and whoever as the new president who has secured the votes and confidence of the majority.
The election stakeholders, particularly the Independent Election Commission and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission, are facing a historic test, and their small mistake and negligence can have grave consequences for the country. The election leadership has to act responsibly to salvage the country already in great trouble from slipping into a political stalemate.
