Nearly after three months, the election commission has finally announced the preliminary election results in Afghanistan. According to the Independent Election Commission, Ghani won 50.64 per cent besting Abdullah, who scored 39.52 percent. The results originally scheduled to be announced on October 19, but it has been repeatedly delayed with IEC officials citing technical issues, allegations of fraud and protests from candidates. According to the IEC, there were several reasons why the preliminary results have taken so long, but the main reason was the opposition parties conducting sit-ins and protests outside of IEC offices in seven provinces and so the IEC was not able to do its job. Chief Executive Abdullah’s supporters blocked several election offices across the country, preventing election workers from a ballot recount for more than a month.
Given the sensitive issue of peace process with Taliban and given the negative impact of election on peoples’ life, it was high time to work hard and announce the preliminary election result. According to lawmakers, the stalemate between the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and dissenting campaign teams over the validity of some votes put a negative impact on the national economy. Yesterday, the MPs criticized the IEC for its inability to handle the process and for failing to announce the preliminary results of the elections. If the IEC had failed to announce the preliminary election result, it was more responsible for the negative impacts on people’s economic and political life.  However, IEC could earlier announce the preliminary results step by steps. In many of the world countries, they partly keep the election result announcing and this way, they neutralize every possible rumor. They predict that there would be always some right or wrong allegations, but people should be informed step by step.
Unfortunately, the Commissions have repeated deviated from its professional and technical duties in Afghanistan. The IEC is not a political entity to resolve the electoral issues through political consultation or bargaining with the parties involved. IEC is a professional and technical organization that needs to do their jobs through effective management and specified legal procedure. Legally, it is not the duty of IEC to seek political solutions and satisfy the electoral ticket to continue the work which already allowed by the ruling law. During the past one month and a half, the election commission has done something which was not its duty and so caused some problems and wasted the time and money on unrelated matters.
Now that the IEC succeeded to announce the preliminary results, it is expected from the IECC to do its job as soon as possible. The IECC should not make the people wait for another three months to hear the final election results. They should not listen to anyone anymore except doing their jobs accordance with law and specified procedures. If the pressures of some electoral teams still prevent the IECC from announcing the final results, people will consider them as a real cause of electoral disorder in Afghanistan. In other countries, electoral commissions announce millions of votes within one or two days, but in Afghanistan the commissions either have no serious will to exercise their legal authority or they intentionally delay to make a political deal and then announce the election results.
Anyway, today was an important day for democracy of Afghanistan. Now, people are impatiently and eagerly waiting to hear the final election results because many of economical and political matters depend on the election final results.  The Commission should note that the delays will turn the accusation into certainty. People will think that the commissions are dishonest with their legal and national duty. Sometimes legal and national duties need to more courageous to disclose those who interrupt the legal procedures. These commissions are only accountable for those duties that legally entrusted to them. But if the commission again postpones the results because of real and unrealistic pretexts, the members of the commissions will be responsible for negative economic and political consequences. These days, the Election Commission is in a historical test and the fate of democracy, the credibility of the elections, the security and stability of the country largely depends on the decision of the commissions, especial IECC. Given the sensitive issue of peace complications, only a legitimate can represent the people in peace negotiations and defend national interests and social values.  The credibility and dignity of people depend on the strength, legitimacy and authority of the future government and its peace negotiations and bargaining with Taliban. If we want to successfully cross the peace challenges, we must support a central and legitimate government.Opposing to the government and criticizing its policies and programs are useful and sometimes necessary, provided that such opposition and criticism do not interrupt a national process or the government’s policies and programs.
The international allies should also realize that the only way out of the current stalemate is to strengthen the central government and support it in all national processes.  Weakening the central government and perambulate its will, neither will be a good partner and nor will help peace process. Any negotiation with the armed opposition must be governed by the government and people of Afghanistan. Therefore, any processes which are organized outside the will of government and people will face negative reactions and are subject to failure. We expect that the Qatar peace process start different and more realistic than before and the interests of the people should be at the center of the negotiations