The 20-member Council of Political Parties has strongly opposed the decision of Independent Election Commission regarding usage of old voter registration cards in the upcoming elections. It is yet the latest and strongest civil reaction from the opposition, which the current administration has been completely ignoring.

In a press conference, the Council members said the government is preparing for fraud and vote rigging in the 2014 presidential elections. They accuse gross interference in the work of Election Commission, which earlier had announced plans for new voter cards, but last week said old ones will be used. The cabinet ‘approved’ the decision, which was in fact imposed on an independent constitutional commission. These are early signs of our way that leads to Turkestan, as our local saying goes in Dari.

IEC Chief Manawi had earlier said the presidential election in 2014 will not be transparent if the older voter registration cards are used. Before his statement, President Karzai had said the government could not provide the needed money for new voter registration, and old cards must be used. What legitimacy remains when Chief of the IEC questions transparency of elections with old cards? But this week, in absence of it’s Chief, IEC ‘decided’ and announced old voter cards could be used. It was result of pressure from the President.

Some pro-government parties included in the Council of Political Parties also voiced concerns about the IEC decision. After all these reactions, if the Government still continues to insist and IEC bows down each time, then we are doomed to another crisis in next elections. And it will not be a deadlock, but descent into chaos this time.

The old cards of the previous voter registration can be bought at cheap prices all over the country. There were over 17 million of them, while the number of actual eligible voters for this year is about 15 million. Rigging would be unavoidable with the old lists. The fraud machinery could actually hijack the election results through ghost voters. Two million nonexistent fraud registered voters can decide the fate of Presidential elections in 2014.

The Government and international stakeholders in Afghanistan need to take these early signs of an crisis serious and ensure steps to avoid it, otherwise a fraudulent elections marred with rigging and crisis can take the current system down and it will not take time we go back to the situation in 90s, all because of the narrow agenda of those who want to cling to power through fraud.