Finally, the Independent Election Commission (IEC), which resisted huge pressure over the last eleven months, has decided to "drink poison" by bringing changes to the current composition of lower house (Wolesi Jirga) of the national assembly. Such a decision will definitely plunge the country into a new crisis that could be more catastrophic and terrible.
The coalition for protection of laws has already said that they would not accept any change made by the IEC based on the ruling of Special Election Tribunal, which unseated 62 MPs. For whatever reasons, IEC's decision to unseat some of the members of Wolesi Jirga is poisoning democracy as well.
Earlier, the Head of IEC, Mr. Manawi had said that any change to the final results of parliamentary election is a dream, fancy and impossibility. But he has desisted from the battle that was created and launched by the president to show his authoritarian will and appoint his favorite candidates to the lower house of parliament. Later on in an interview with BBC, Manawi said that the new decision to be taken by the Commission has been imposed by President Hamid Karzai.
After almost one year, the IEC not only will announce changes to the results that were announced by themselves but will also declare the failure of transition to democracy and democratic consolidation. Oddly enough, the commission officials have said that they would not take the responsibility for the consequences of their decision on the changes they are making. They are going to write a history of disaster in a country which has already had a tormentedand checqueredhistory.
The MPs and people could begin to call for president Karzai's resignation as he assumed his second tenure through an election which was more fraudulent than the parliamentary election held on September 18, 2010. He has paid no least attention to popular will. Instead, he has been playing political game with people's votes.
Afghan people cannot afford to see the failure of the ongoing transformation. They should not allow an individual to overturn the democratic system. Afghans cannot accept the notion that democracy is failing in their country. They just need to stop authoritarian wills from ruling their destiny.
International community has funded and paid for parliamentary election. They must not leave its destiny to the whims of the president whose legitimacy is in question. They also have paid in treasure and blood over the last ten years to promote democracy and human rights in this country and now must not allow them to go in vain.