Afghanistan finally held its third parliamentary election after years of delay. The high voter participation was doubtlessly an epic success, as millions of people braved serious security threats to exercise their franchise. Following the Taliban’s warning to strike all election targets, there was the assumption that the participation of Afghan people in the democratic process may be extremely low; however, people turned out in surprisingly large numbers, especially in the country’s major cities, proving once again that Afghans are willing and committed to shaping their own future.
Like the previous elections, this Wolesi Jirga poll was, too, criticized for, and plagued by, fraud and poor management on the part of the Independent Election Commission (IEC). Since it was the first time IEC used a biometric technology in the election, delays in voting were expected. Nonetheless, there were some problems solely attributed to IEC’s weak management such as the late opening of some polling centers which were safe from any kind of security threats. Over 40 polling sites did not open on time only in Kabul where no serious security threats existed. Although the election commission tried to compensate for the time lost by extending the voting to a second day, the problem certainly frustrated some people. These problems could have been prevented had the election commission made appropriate arrangements.
Now that the election is over, and questions and concerns about its transparency remain, all electoral complaints, especially supported by convincing evidence, must thoroughly and transparently be adjudicated. This will help ensure the transparency of election on the one hand, and enhance the legitimacy of the results on the other hand. The election results should also be announced on time, since any delay in the announcement of the results will create more problems and challenges for the government at this critical juncture. As the 2019 presidential election is fast approaching, spending more time on the parliamentary election can adversely affect the presidential poll.
