Never without controversy
Another Afghan presidential election and another disputed result, even if the final formal announcement is still pending. But for the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to admit “some technical mistakes and short comings”, not to mention “fraud and violation in the process, in some cases security forces were involved, in others senior government officials like governors or lower level officers”, and one can imagine just what kind of trouble awaits Kabul. Abdullah Abdullah, who was ahead till the last round, will not take this sudden turnaround sitting down. If he was upset about the previous presidential election result, when Karzai won his last term amid widespread accusations of fraud, he is sure to cause quite a stir this time around.
Significantly, even though some of Ghani’s supporters began premature celebrations, the election panel has just declared the leader, not the winner. And since fraud has been established to an undeniable extent, the final announcement could still bring more surprises. It is now important for both parties to stop fighting and agree on a comprehensive audit. Constituencies where fake votes can be identified and filtered should be singled out first, and those where polling might be needed again should also be short listed.
Surely both Ghani and Abdullah understand the consequences of an ugly fallout at this critical juncture better than anyone else in the world, not just Afghanistan. The Americans are leaving and the Taliban’s latest spring offensive has been impressive, even by its standards. And the slightest scent of illegitimacy in government will go a long way in increasing the insurgents’ appeal and outreach. So far Abdullah’s reaction has been calculated and patient. He has rightly called for vote verification, even though some of his more front-foot allies are already calling for a parallel government to pressure Karzai and his allies, whom they blame for the fraud. There are regional implications also, especially for Pakistan and its own war against the Taliban. Afghanistan can do without further unnecessary trouble, and this election result will show how serious Kabul really is about putting its house in order.