Both Presidential candidates met on Tuesday behind closed door in order to discuss perhaps about the previously agreed national unity or participatory government proposed by US foreign Secretary of the States John Kerry. Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah were at serious odd about the announcement of presidential election result. Dr. Abdullah openly and bluntly said that he would not accept the result of the election and would not resume normal relation with two Election Commissions responsible with everything related to election if the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announces the preliminary election result. He was in view that all his complaints should be heard and extensive audit be held in order to separate pure votes from rigged ones. While Dr. Ashraf Ghani was emphasizing that Afghans had the rights to know about political destiny and the votes casted in high turnout on 14 June. He was embarking to legal channel and schedule that election commissions have. Two times the announcement was postponed possibly giving both times to reach a political deal at the back stage. When it appeared that both candidates had no strong motive to work on a working plan, the IEC announced the preliminary result which showed that Dr. Ashraf Ghani stands more than millions votes ahead of his rival.
In order to break the deadlock, beside audit of all ballots and filtering and rigged votes from pure ones, John Kerry has proposed a kind of power sharing structure. Meanwhile, 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.
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 of presented by Mr. John Kerry. Considering the volatile social structure of the country which could easily divided on communal lines, he proposed a solution which for now has let people to breathe in relieve. 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 will accept the result but it is highly possible they will not and violate their promise. The hope that this time both candidates may not embark to decisions which lead the country into a disaster. In another word, if it is right what appeared in media there will be no winner and loser. Both candidates will have their share in power and build an allied government which has no opposition as it is prevalent in other parts of the world.
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 see what will be result of the election and whether our leaders once again violate their promises as continued doing during decades.