One of the basic factors that are going to influence the post-2014 scenario in Afghanistan is the upcoming elections in 2014 and 2015. The nature and the outcome of both the presidential and parliamentary elections will, in fact, decide the future political stability. It is really important thatthe national and international authorities carry out utmost efforts to make the elections free and fair.
The Afghan authorities themselves, especially the Presidential office has to be very much responsible in this regard. If the Afghan authorities are really interested in better and long-lasting democratic values and culture, the upcoming elections should be free and fair and must be the representative of the people of Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, the preparations for the elections are not on the track completely. Moreover, because of the historical experiences, level of corruption, undemocratic norms and values and inability of the Afghan resources, it is very difficult to expect a very optimistic result of the elections.
It is really the need of the time that the deficiencies in the preparedness for the elections should be eliminated and authorities should carry on their duties with honesty and dedication as they are responsible to the nation. The international community must also strive to play their role in the process. The international organizations and the involved countries should not alienate themselves by calling it an internal affair of Afghanistan. They should play their possible roles.
Japan in this regard has played a very important role. It has announced an assistance of $8.6 million to improve the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. In the 2009-2010 elections it has provided an assistance of about $56.1 million. The main purpose of the assistance is to help Afghanistan train its human resources and develop its electoral infrastructures before the election years.
This assistance be implemented through United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and would strive to cover about four million Afghan voters and nine provinces so that they should be have better election processes.
Moreover, under this project, named as "Human Resource and Infrastructural Capacity Development of Independent Election Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan," the professional and electoral capacity of the IEC's staff will be supported in the headquarters in Kabul and throughout major parts of the country.
The agreement for the project was signed between Reiichiro Takahashi, the Ambassador of Japan and Alvaro Rodriguez, Country Director of UNDP, in the presence of IEC chairman, Fazal Ahmed Manawi. It is hoped that the project will be helpful in certain ways in the upcoming elections.
Though, the assistance by Japan and other countries for the elections and the improvement of democratic processes and institutions should be appreciated as much as possible, at the same time it should not go unnoticed that the most decisive role will be played by the Afghan government and authorities. Afghan authorities have to play the most dominating role, not through lip service alone, but they have to start making difference to the system and the country.
It is really important to address the election issues appropriately through practical measures. In addition, it must be taken care of that election schedule is not disturbed. To strengthen election system it must be made sure that improvements are brought in the polling systems that can help the people of Afghanistan participate without complications in the elections and have their true representatives in parliament. Moreover, there are margins of improvements in the arbitration system and voter registrations.
Authorities have to bring more innovations in this regard and make sure that maximum number of people participates in elections. Above all, the rampant corruption must not be allowed by the Afghan government and the supporting countries and organizations to ruin the elections. Otherwise, another golden opportunity will be wasted by Afghanistan.