The Saturday’s presidential and provincial elections have attracted the attention of the international community and individuals from all over the world. One of them was huge numbers of comments of Iranians on the elections. However, the state-run newspapers and officials whether remained silent or highlighted the faults of the election, but comments and views of its citizens highlighted a different issues. Many of them congratulated Afghans for what they did despite warnings and threats from anti-government forces and wished for similar free and fair election in their own country. Many of them were in view that high turnout will mark a promising future while Afghan themselves still maintain deep concerns over the future.
No doubt, in the political and security arena, Afghans have had three major nightmares. Since the very transition of security responsibilities to Afghan security forces and talk about military withdrawal in 2014 irrespective of ground situation was a nightmare. It could be observed in decreasing price of lands and houses in the big cities like Kabul. From the start of US-led military intervention in 2001, the price of lands and rents of houses spiraled tremendously. Those who were property business accumulated huge wealth with the blink of an eye as the prices of lands increased by fifty times. After 2012 when the foreign military withdrawal become certain, the rents and prices of houses and lands started decreasing till 2014. Everybody hesitates to invest money. They prefer to keep wealth with themselves or transfer to safer places outside of the country. But with the start of 2014, no major security problems surfaced as result, the prices of lands and rents started moving upwards once again.
The second nightmare was elections and the way it was held. Afghans believed about huge fraud and it was expected people may not welcome it much. Security threats and bogus claims of Taliban further complicated the situation. As observed, people participated with much enthusiasm. Despite, part of them believed that electoral fraud may occur, they took part; maybe to respond militants with a clenched fist.
However, the third nightmare has not passed yet. That is how the candidates may deal with result of the presidential election. Many of them still consider themselves as the winner of the election. So, would they accept the result? It is an obsessing issue that time may respond. Hopefully, similar to civilians, candidate show the courage and do not pull the country back from its right track for their own interests.