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AT News Report-KABUL: Experts participated in Rana Think Tank monthly session said that considering current crisis and challenges in electoral bodies, the National Unity Government (NUG) won’t enable to run parliamentary election in coming year.
Expert believed that ramp up insecurity, lack of law reinforcement in around 50 percent of the country, shortage of budget all can be the clear sign that the NUG will be failed to run parliamentary election as in announced date (July 2018). They imagine that even if a miracle happens and the government runs the election, it won’t be a nationwide and transparent election, it will be an election full of fraud, which will undermine the people trust over process forever.
“Security situation is going to be worsening day by day even NATO generals say that 53-57 percent of areas are under control of insurgents,” said ex-mine minister, Wahidullah Shahrani.
He said that at least 40 percent people live in the area under control of insurgents, where election can’t be run, when those areas not covered during election, then election can’t be general and nationwide election.
He elaborated that government has control on less than 50 per cent of geography of the country and there is no any guaranty that the government will expand it’s under control area, but even government some time loses its under control areas.
Lack of budget for election is another challenge for the government, he noted.
He said that although there is commitment by international community to provide budget to election, but it is essential to the government itself provide budget for election.
We must provide budget from our domestic source for election in order to make this process fully an Afghan process in order to run free and fair election, he insisted.
He stated there is ground of procedures, if the government plan to provide budget for election it will be succeeded.
He said that if the government provides the budget for election costs and expenditures of the process will be decreased, but if the International community provide budget its expenditure will more.
Pointing to some challenges in electoral bodies, he said that there is no commission to solve challenges.
Coming up with an example he said that Independent Election Commission (IEC) Chief dismissal from IEC, he said that in law there mentioned that new commissioner must be hired within one week after dismissal of commissioner.
Ability of the commissioners of the IEC is under question, if they come under pressure over some cases would they be able to run out the pressure and take decision independently, he mentioned.
In the past 90 days till November, the commissioners and high ranking officials of IEC went to presidential palace over 40 times, he noted.
If the commissioners go to ministry of finance there will be no question maybe they are talking about financial issues, but going to presidential palace is questionable, he said.
He highlighted that providing a list of voters is another challenge for government; it won’t be able to provide the list of eligible voters in next seven months.
Shahrani said that according to reports there is 13-17-24 million voting cards have been distributed to the people, which only it was not distributed by the IEC, but some other organs were also involved in the process of distributing.
Preventing of interference of powerful people, governor, chief districts and locality commanders in the election process is another challenge for the government, he added.
He said that pressure over government for running election has two dimensions one pressure by people another pressure by international community and the government prefers more to foreign dimension because it the donors provide donation.
Hinting to 2014 election, he said that the presidential election in 2014 lead to crisis, but after establishment of NUG both leaders committed to bring broader reform in electoral bodies as well as bring changes in constitution, but unfortunately despite passing three years from NUG age still we are not witnessed for the steps over the commitment made by both leaders.
The challenge in constitution is that there was not predicted that if such 2014 crisis creates which organs must address the issue, he mentioned.
He said that it must be mentioned in the constitution that if such 2014 crisis creates which organs should make decision, if there is no any regulation then we must refer to historical traditional mechanism to address the problem.
Considering all challenges still we are not witnessed of such steps that show that the government has serious intention for running parliamentary election in coming year, he asserted.
Mr. Shahrani said that the NUG was established through a political agreement, which had credibility for two years, and it was mentioned to after two years the NUG must organize Loya Jirga and bring change in the system, so it did not act based on agreement, thus this government lost its legitimacy.
Similar parliament period was extended through a presidential decree, which is another illegal act that undermined the legitimacy of the parliament.
He said that the Supreme Court officials received vote from an illegitimate parliament, where this judicial organs legitimacy is under question so all the three pillars in this regime has no legitimacy.
If the government delay further running of parliamentary election challenges will be more, he noted.
He stated that running of parliamentary election along with provincial council and presidential election in one date can be another challenge, where the government will be failed to address all issues, so in this case then it is required of all tribal elders, political figures and youth to mobilize and go for tradition mechanism in order to address issues.
Gathering for traditional mechanism can more helpful because Taliban also would have the chance to participate and negotiate over crisis, he underlined.
Member of Rana Think Tank, Safiullah Molakhail said that democracy is a kind of descend mechanism in the country, where our society is not in compromise with it.
He said that today everything has been ruined in our society the capital has been changed to a military village, thus running of Loya Jirga is better than a defective and imperfect democracy, because in Loya Jirga from each district a representative express his own area views.
Member of Center for Strategic Studies Center of Afghanistan Sarwar Ahamadzai said that when the people voted for two leaders it won’t mean whatever they did people must accepted.
He said that that the people must feel responsible for wrong doing of both leaders and they must raise voices against them.
