In recent weeks, concerns over the delays in reforms to the electoral commissions as well as the future parliamentary elections have been increasing. Many election monitoring organizations, political leaders, analysts and government officials have raised concerns over the National Unity Government’s inability to start implementing reforms to the electoral commissions. With the delays in reforming the electoral bodies, now the fate of the future parliamentary elections is ambiguity with the affairs regarding the preparations for the elections completely in chaos. Since its formation, the National Unity Government has come a long way to complete the formation of the unity government and implement the power-sharing agreement which became the basis of the National Unity Government. However, one of the terms of the agreement is becoming the greatest point of failure for the unity government.

Last Thursday, talking at a conference of International Contact Group (ICG) in Kabul, President Ghani said that holding the upcoming parliamentary elections will be a major challenge for the government. He said that reforms to the electoral systems and bodies were a must, and that the government needed more time. His comments came at a time when government has failed to take concrete measures for compromising over the electoral reforms to allow the preparations go ahead for the parliamentary elections. The assurances for reforms while there is an obvious lack of political will from the leaders of the National Unity Government seem bizarre and superficial to those political elites, election monitoring institutions and the civil society organizations that closely monitor the affairs related to the electoral reforms.

There could be dire consequences for the government’s failure to bring about reforms to the electoral systems and procedures. The parliamentary elections were supposed to take place this year. It was, and is, to be a fair and sound process to avoid the catastrophic trend of the last year’s presidential elections. However, there have been no actions for making the necessary arrangements for fixing the flaws that exist in the electoral bodies’ structures as well as other election mechanisms. There is a consensus that the upcoming parliamentary elections could not be held without due electoral reforms. If this happens, it could mean political instabilities, unconstitutionalities in the political system, disruptions in day-to-day governance and possibly a chaotic situation close to a potential crisis for the country, as happened during the protracted last year’s presidential elections.

With a more potential failure over the handling of the parliamentary elections looming, now there are opposing and somehow bizarre comments and theories to the fate of the legislative system and the parliament if the government fails to hold the elections in near future. Some predict the mandate of the current houses of the parliament could be extended so to the state performs without heading to a stalemate. However, it is obvious for all that such an arrangement is unconstitutional, and such unconstitutional measures would only compound the fundamental challenges of the country. The fact is that it is quite possible that the legislative branch of the government would stall and leave the state without one of its main pillars. Any scenario because of the government’s failure to hold elections in time is potentially dangerous and would bring the country again to unpredicted challenges and even crises.

The problems related to the delays in election reforms and holding timely parliamentary elections is emerging from now on. The international community has declined to commit for funding the election process due the unity government’s inability to undertake reforms to the electoral systems and procedures. The international Allies are exhausted with Afghanistan’s inability to handle its electoral processes. If the election bodies do not receive the required funding for holding the elections, they would fail from the very beginning to start preparations for the elections. With no robust and timely preparations, the parliamentary elections would be doomed to another electoral failure for Afghanistan.

To say the unsaid, the deep desire for monopoly of power over the election systems and procedures is the main factor behind the unwillingness and lack of resolve and commitment of the top political leadership to hold a sound and flaw-less parliamentary elections. One of the key differences is whether who should lead the special commission for electoral reforms that would oversee the process. President Ashraf Ghani appointed female lawmaker Shukria Barekzai, but her appointment was unacceptable for CEO Abdullah Abdullah. Since the stalemate, Ghani has failed so far to seek a consensus-building approach and come to a consensus with top political leaders and key government stakeholders. Many believe the President has strategic sight and approach over the current affairs of the country, and is a pragmatic leader with no delusions over the situations.

However, his inability, as the head of the state, to rightly fix things of national importance through consensus and political unity among Afghan political elites questions him as being a pragmatic and capable leader who should be able to fix the messes created by the last year presidential elections and the ongoing security challenges. The flawed leadership of the unity government is further compounded by lack of political opposition to the government. All potential major opposition groups are included in the current unity government leaving the system without a constructive and powerful opposition front. Former president Hamid Karzai had been facing the heaviest criticisms from the opposition groups, and due to such mechanisms of politics the government used to act more responsibly.

If Afghanistan’s political elite further keep silence over the government’s handling of the electoral reforms and the parliamentary elections, there would be no sense of responsibility and accountability from the government and particularly its top leadership. Perhaps it is time for the MPs, politicians as well as government officials to raise pressures for electoral reforms and preparations of the parliamentary elections.