Afghanistan Times
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Electoral body once said security and funding will present the biggest challenge to the forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. The prediction is totally right, but it forgot to calculate situation in case of massive fraud and its consequences. Beside security and funding, the biggest issue that hampers elections is mass scale of fraud. This is painting a totally grey picture of whole country as some political parties and influential figures said they would stop rigged elections. Past elections culminated in deeply divisive result as 2014, dealing a serious blow to credibility of democratic process in the country. Noting systematic fraud which is orchestrating by government, angry loyalists to the majority of opposition alliance shut down four regional offices of the Independent Election Commission on Saturday against what they called the government’s refusal of cave to the demands of politicians in regards with election reforms, sparking fears about further delay in long-dragged parliamentary elections. Hundreds of supporters of the Grand National Coalition of Afghanistan (GNCA) barricaded and shut down offices of the election commission in Kandahar, Herat, Kunduz and Balkh provinces. They threatened to close IEC offices in other major provinces. Recently GNCA unveiled over million fake ID cards and sticker, which is a sign of big fraud in coming elections. The closure came after government ignored GNCA demands for biometric-based elections—a concern that has been brushed off by government. When over half of the forthcoming elections have already been rigged and its results would be preposterous and unacceptable, what are the government’s responsibility and its electoral bodies? Everyone in this country has been desperately waiting for election date to come to cast vote for their favorite candidates. This is our obligation to participate in election. Even the political parties are want election to happen because current government has failed in several areas, where deteriorated security, and fragile economy situations dominates key of it. War has been intensified with fatalities to Afghan security personnel and civilians. It’s crystal clear that the Afghans frightened as insecurity threatens all walks of life. Political parties also declared their support from transparent and fraud-free elections and said they expected the government and the election commission to utilize their plan for change and discharge its duty to prevent from chaos and national mistrust. But no attention has been paid by government. Still there is chance to work jointly, and resolve current miseries before to have pitfall consequences.
