The Independent Election Commission Chief has said date for Presidential polls will be announced within a month. He invited political parties and civil society organizations for consultation on voter registration mechanism.
While talking in a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday, Fazal Ahmad Manawi, IEC Chief said that Karzai Administration and international community had not supported the Commission's efforts for a new voter registration plan.
After intense criticism and frustrations on the lack of preparations for upcoming presidential polls, now the Government seems to have pushed the Commission for yesterday's symbolic press conference, without any practical step being taken yet.
The International Crisis Group report which has created a fuss in international media and caused harsh reaction from the Government provides a good narrative of the issues related to elections due in 2014, with solid policy recommendations.
It is just unfortunate that the Government has rebuffed it calling the report paves ground for foreign interference in the polls. Rather, they should thoroughly study the paper and pay heed to its call for an urgent action plan on the legislative issues related to elections and transfer of power, which can cause a deadlock in 2014 and serious institutional crisis that can lead us to chaos.
The analysis in ICG report is nothing new, but a narrative of the concerns and demands of political groups in Kabul. The issues raised have been discussed in our local media before. The genuine worries about polls and post-2014 crisis does not equate interference into internal affairs of Afghanistan, or aimed at any psychological war, but cautions about challenges and how to prepare our institutions and system to face. Empty, sensational and accusatory reactions are like the dove that hides its eyes with its wing, thinking everyone will see dark.
The challenges are huge, while preparations are nil. Reports of international think tanks should be taken as a helpful analytical understanding of the situation, rather than launching a curse rampage against it. The ICG report is a mirror of our challenges. Seeing ugly face, one should not blame the mirror.
The IEC should launch a rapid process of consultation with political parties and accelerate the work. They should announce a solid working plan and schedule of voter registration, polling date and other mechanisms. The Presidential Palace and parliament should work to make issues related to transfer of power and elections clear with legislative provisions to avoid any confrontational scenario in 2014 that pave ground for our eventual descent into chaos.