Every interruption to the announcement of the winner of Afghanistan’s presidential elections has plunged the country deeper into a political vacuum.
Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah’s boycott of the results of a United Nations-backed vote audit has jeopardised a power-sharing deal that was brokered by the United States. This could have far-reaching consequences on the country’s politics and internal security if a suitable solution is not found soon.
The power-sharing concept would be a unique political development for Afghanistan, where the losing candidate in the elections becomes chief executive officer and reports to the president. The CEO’s role would become that of executive prime minister after constitutional changes have been approved. The trust deficit between the presidential candidates, Abdullah and Ashraf Gani, has been heightened by the former’s latest manoeuvre at a time when the clock is ticking to sign an important security pact — something that President Hamid Karzai refused to do — to keep US troops in Afghanistan beyond Nato’s agreed deadline of November 2014.
The process of determining the winner has resumed but all stakeholders are racing against the clock, sifting through 8 million questionable votes, before the country’s new head is inaugurated on September 2 — hours before he makes an appearance at Nato’s crucial summit in Wales on September 4-5.
It is important for both candidates to comprehend the gravity of continuous suspensions, given that foreign grants pay for about 50 per cent of the Afghan government’s expenditure, according to World Bank estimates. More importantly, the Afghan people can no longer afford to have their future held in the balance, thanks to the antics of individuals who have been entrusted with the mandate of securing their well-being. These vacillations will put the Taliban firmly in the driver’s seat as it would seek to orchestrate chaos and terror across a destabilised state in a bid to regain power.
Karzai can’t be relied on, as he has threatened to leave office by September 2, irrespective of whether the deal is done and the dispute resolved. Afghanistan must embark on a new era without any procrastination.
