Afghan people have had high hopes from the presidential election; however, the ongoing circumstances do not seem to be making them very much optimistic. The tiring and lagging process of audit of the votes have influenced negatively almost all walks of life and people seem to have clear ambiguities instead of clear vision about the future. This situation does not seem to have positive impact on the trust and confidence of the people from the Afghan political system and from a democratic process, which is not appreciable at times when the country has no other option but to pursue true democracy and democratic culture.
The ambiguities regarding the election result has started influencing the economy as well. The investors and businessmen, finding no surety about the circumstances and doubting the situation of peace and tranquility, avoid investing and thus avoid supporting the economy. If the situation does not improve immediately, the country would face more challenges regarding the economic stability and growth.
The situation has been realized by President Hamid Karzai as well. During his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the Presidential Palace, he said that the delay in result announcement had been having a negative impact on the country’s economy and governance, as well as the security situation.
It is really necessary now that the Audit of the votes must be finalized quickly and this tiring process must end. It will not only support the economy but also the Afghan political system.
Though during his visit on Friday John Kerry could once again manage an agreement between the presidential runners Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Dr. Abudullah Abdullah, the practical measures are yet to be taken to speed up the process and announce the final results.
Both the runners announced signing a deal on forming a national unity government on completion of the ongoing ballot audit. They agreed to sort out their differences and set an inauguration date before the end of the current month.
Kerry, who held two rounds of talks with Abdullah and Ahmadzai, hailed the agreement as giant stride toward averting possible political chaos. He said, "This is really an Afghan solution to an Afghan problem. Both parties have agreed to stay at it and live by the outcome.
Even though this agreement and the other commitments seem promising, true and honest intentions and a viable solution to the situation are required to come out of the current quagmire and let the Afghan economy and political system come on the right track.