The past decade was a golden period for war-ravaged Afghanistan as the international community supported it financially and non-financially to stabilize itself. In this period, much work had to be done for sustainable development in all major areas including security and economic. But in reality no significant development any areas is observable.

Afghanistan continues to remain highly instable and its achievements are greatly fragile. This is not the Afghanistan its people had hoped for when the Taliban regime were thrown out and the international community enhanced its presence in here and generously provided aids for its reconstruction and development.

With escalation of insecurity and deterioration political condition, hope for a stable and prosperous Afghanistan is dying in the hearts of common Afghans and the public-government trust gap has widened like never before. The withdrawal plan of NATO troops is to put Afghanistan at further menace of economic downfall and return of worse days. The current Taliban-friendly policies of the government and refusal of President Hamid Karzai to sign the Biletral Security Agreement with the United States have pushed the country into further uncertainty.

Despite all challenges Afghanistan is facing at the moment, the next presidential election as a result of which a new government will be formed can be a great source of hope if its transparency and fairness is ensured up to a satisfactory level. Therefore, all eyes are on the next year’s presidential election due to be held in April. This time President Hamid Karzai will not be running as candidate. He is no more eligible based on the constitutional law of the country. The Afghan National Security Forces will be in charge of providing security during the polls in most of the Afghan districts.

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 IEC is able to conduct a free, fair and transparent election.