Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Mr. Kerry Pulled the Country Back on Track for a period

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Mr. Kerry Pulled the Country Back on Track for a period

After days of political tumult popped up after the announcement of preliminary runoff Presidential election, on Sunday night people breathed in relief. The political muscles got relaxed after visit of US Secretary of the State and intense discussion with both presidential candidates, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraff Ghani Ahmadzai. After days of tough controversy and harsh criticisms from one another, they both hugged each other and raised hands in unity. What John Kerry did at the backstage and how he could convince candidates to work on deadlock breaking way has not been reveled fully. But the US sophisticated and senior US diplomat could be remembered as “saver” of the country from political storm.  He convinced both candidates to stay away from instigating the sentiments of civilians and pushing the country toward certain tragedy. As result, for now the case of establishment of a parallel government by Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is sealed and election commissions which are blamed of extensive vote-rigging by Dr. Abdullah.

However, it is still too early to celebrate because the problem is not solved completely. Now both teams agreed for the audit and recount of all casted in votes in 34 provinces but still the process looks complicated. Based on statement of election commission, it has distributed around fifty millions cards for qualified individuals to vote. So, those cards are still in the hands of civilians and even without their presence in polling centers, some might have collected their cards and wrote down the number which would be highly difficult to separate them from pure and true casted votes. however, there is hope that experienced and professional individuals will check over eight million casted votes under the scrutiny of civil society, representatives of Dr. Ashraff Ghani and Dr. Abdullah but the process really seem difficult in case of filtering fraudulent votes.

Moreover, there is no guarantee that both candidates accept the outcome. Dr. Abdullah even before the start of first round of presidential election said that he was the winner and he had only two rivals: fraud and fraud. He gained the largest percentage of votes---14 percent ahead of Dr. Ashraff Ghani.  During the second round, he did a lot and almost allied with every potential candidate that he could bring him votes.  Both Dr. Zalmai Rasoul and Abdul Rasoul Sayyaf the candidates who came third and fourth in the first round of presidential election joined hands with him.  With such broad alliance he hoped that he could defeat Dr. Ashraff Ghani easily.  Because he and his supporters calculated the amount votes on account of his first round of presidential election record.

The runoff election changed the calculation. Based on preliminary result of runoff presidential election which was announced by independent election commission, Dr. Ashraff Ghani won the election with one million ahead of his rival. Such result sparked anger among supporters of Dr. Abdullah. He cut all his ties with election commissions and blamed them of involvement in systematic vote-rigging in favor of his rival. Hopefully, after the recount of ballot papers under the very eyes of international community and representatives of both teams, the true votes of people be filtered and suspicion of people also get cleared.

It was highly possible with recount votes under the watch of a third party and inauguration of new president without responding to questions of people and clearing to their doubts about the impartiality of election commissions and an appropriate level of transparency, people might have lost their trust on election. Such thing on one hand could weaken the pillars of democracy for which huge sacrifices made and billions of dollars spend to change it as functioning system for the country and on the other hand would end up to a government with poorer legitimacy.  Both were of course consequential for Afghanistan.

The second deputy of Dr. Abdullah, Mr. Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq and the leader of Hezb-e-Wahdat Mardom-e-Afghanistan revealed part of the solution presented by Mr. John Kerry. Considering the volatile social structure of the country which could easily be divided on communal lines, he proposed a solution which for now has let people to breathe in relief. But meanwhile there is no guarantee that political stability is ensured. The political prospective still has remained grim though market has reacted positively to mediation of Mr. Kerry.  As he said it was early to call ourselves as winner. He clearly understands that both all candidates before the start of presidential elections accepted and vowed to obey election commissions say. But in the first round as well as in the runoff, it appeared that presidential candidate do not do what they say. They are just looking the percentage of votes they gain. Only winner accepts and they rest do not accept the result and do propaganda of fraud and vote-rigging.

Similar scenario is possible after reassessment and recount of the votes proposed by Mr. Kerry. Though both candidates said that they will accept the result but it is highly possible they will not and violate their promise.

But for now it is good that Afghanistan got rid of uncertainty for a short period. They can sleep in no fear of firing rockets in Kabul. Let’s see what will be result of the election and whether our leaders once again violate their promises as continued doing during decades.

Masood Korosh is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at outlookafghanistan@gmail.com

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