The earlier optimism about the result of election is declining as the process of recount and audit of ballot papers and ballot boxes move ahead irritatingly slow. Around half a month has passed since the mediation between two candidates by US Secretary of the State John Kerry, yet no step-forward has been held. Due to serious differences between the two candidates, three times the process of audit and recount has been stopped so far and if the process goes with the same pace, Afghans should wait for months for their new president that also in an optimistic scenario.
For now both candidates agreed to embarrass the result of election after the complete audit and recount no matter what would be the result! Both of them openly agreed to accept even be the opposite what election commissions previously announced putting Mr. Ashraff Ghani Ahmadzai ahead of Dr. Abdullah by over one million votes. Such a result was beyond the expectation of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. With alliances he made with different figures across ethnic groups, he hoped that election result would appear far better than the first round when he won over even his close rival Dr. Ashraff Ghani with visible difference of vote percentage—over 45 percent of total votes while Dr. Ashraff Ghani gained slightly over 31 percent.
Certainly, the result of second round of election was completely unacceptable for him because he based all his calculation on the basis of first round of the election though he vowed to accept after the announcement of result by election commissions.
On the other hand, despite criticisms and allegations over vote-rigging in the favor of Dr. Abdullah by his team, Dr. Ashraff Ghani accepted the result.
To some extent it can be called the Afghani formula for democracy. No matter if you have allegations over the fraud in the favor of your opposite team and ask the legal institutions to investigate the case, as far as you are the winner, you will forget the case. Vice versa, the loser does not care how much the legal institutions worked hard to be transparent but you will ratchet up all efforts to cancel the election result.
Similar scenario is possible after the thorough audit and recount of the ballot papers. Presently, both of them agreed that they will accept the result but there is no guarantee they do if any of them loses. Such an issue continues to hover over the political destiny of the country.