In a gathering in Kabul, on Tuesday, September 3, a large number of people from various provinces of Afghanistan called for postponement of presidential and provincial council elections due to be held on April 5, next year. Elders, youths and mass representatives of many provinces of Afghanistan said a credible process for the presidential and provincial election was impossible due to the ongoing insecurity in the country. A member of the Afghan Wolesi Jirga, Mullah Tarakhel Mohammadi said the polls should be postponed until 2018, due to the growing insurgency and violence in the country.

There is no doubt the prevailing security situation poses serious threats to the security of the next year’s polls as based on assessment by Ministry of Interior 3,410 out of the 6,845 countrywide polling centers are insecure. Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that the situation will not worsen by 2018. By the end of 2014, most of the US-led NATO troops will be out of Afghanistan and there are serious concerns that the security situation might get deteriorated. The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have still a long way to go before they are able to operate in the absence of international troops.

Indeed the date set by Independent Election Commission (IEC) is based on the schedule estimated for presidential election in the constitution law of Afghanistan. Security situation has not been satisfactory in the past two presidential elections as well. Therefore, postponement of the upcoming election would be against the constitution of Afghanistan. Law should not be broken at the demand of a person like Mullah Tarakhel who is accused of killing two civilians in Kabul in 2010 and who has been involved in fuelling the conflict between Hazaras and Kuchi nomads over pasture lands in Behsud 1 and Behsud 2 districts of Wardak province.

Although providing 100% security to the polls next year would not be possible, it is not impossible to improve the situation in the coming months by launching targeted operations against insurgents across the country. Security of the upcoming elections will highly depend on the intention and will of the government.

President Karzai has been ruling Afghanistan since the fall of Taliban regime in 2001. But security has gone deteriorating with each passing year. Now the people want change. They hope the new government that will be formed as a result of their votes next year would put genuine efforts to address the challenges facing Afghanistan. Postponing the election would mean that President Karzai may hold his position after his 2nd term ends next year and this will cause the hope for change that exists in the hearts of the people to die.