All eyes are on the next year’s presidential election due to be held in April. This election will be different from elections held in 2005 and 2009. First it is because President Hamid Karzai will not be running as candidate. He is no more eligible based on the constitutional law of the country. Second it is because this time Afghan National Security Forces will be in charge of providing security during the polls in most of the Afghan districts. Also, the end of the same of year most of the NATO forces will withdraw from Afghanistan.

There is no doubt that the next presidential election, its fairness and transparency and the candidate that will be successful will all be crucial for future political, social and economic stability of Afghanistan. Afghan political parties and analysts urge for a fraud-free election and outside Afghanistan too there are resembling views. Key to Afghanistan's future stability will be a credible and inclusive presidential election in 2014, followed by a constitutional transfer of power.

Definitely, the people of Afghanistan would need a sincere, hardworking and patriotic president. Additionally, only a government that is ready to face difficult challenges would be able to lead Afghanistan in the post-2014 era, when all the international troops will be out of Afghanistan.

A desirable government would be a corruption-free and reform-oriented government that can defend, reconstruct and develop Afghanistan, expand rule of law, provide justice, counter narcotics, protect human rights and can find a better way to resolve the ongoing conflict in the country.

The biggest challenge for the next president will be working to improve areas where the current administration is failing. Afghans would need a president who would be brave enough to roam freely within Kabul without fear of any kind. But all these will only be possible, if the present administration takes timely measures to conduct a free, fair and transparent election.

An election marred with allegations of fraud – as were the previous two presidential elections – can cause Afghanistan collapse all-at-once as such elections would no more be acceptable to the people of Afghanistan. This is the time when the international community, political parties, media and civil society organizations must pressurize the government to support and assist Independent Election Commission and cooperate with it to conduct a fraud-free election next year. The time is running short.