The election stakeholders’ faith in electoral institutions is an indispensable element for the success of any election. If the stakeholders, especially the election tickets, do not have confidence in bodies managing the election process, the chances of acceptance of results shrink, thereby turning election as the means of peaceful, democratic transfer of power into a political crisis. Afghanistan is facing a similar scenario. Some presidential tickets do not trust the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and therefore have no regard for its decisions, which has pushed the country to the brink of another electoral and political upheaval in the current critical situation.
Following a short delay, IEC resumed the audit and recounting process of votes in some provinces on Sunday in the face of the boycott of some electoral tickets. In a press statement on Sunday, the Council of Presidential Candidates branded IEC’s decisions, including on vote recount, as illegitimate when their boycott continues.
There is an absolute trust deficit between presidential tickets and IEC as a responsible entity for managing the national process. The presidential runners treat every action taken by IEC with skepticism and as a conspiracy against them. Nonetheless, the election commission also has not been able to bridge the trust deficit and pave the way for progress towards the announcement of election results. To restore trust and convince the presidential candidates to accept the results, UNAMA, which is deeply involved in Afghan elections from the onset, needs to play active role in the resolving the dispute. With full neutrality and respect for independence of Afghanistan’s national institutions, it can arbitrate the dispute in a way that can convince all presidential candidates to accept the results. If UNAMA fails to actively engage in the wrangle, Afghanistan will experience a long-running electoral dispute similar to the one in 2014.
Realizing the critical situation in the country, the election commission and presidential teams should also eschew any irresponsible actions. Since both sides claim to be working for the country’s national interests, they have to walk their talk and save the conflict-stricken nation from another political and electoral crisis. Their reckless behavior can turn election as a huge democratic opportunity into a political gridlock.