Editorial: Electoral campaigns need tighter security

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The parliamentary election is getting closer and the candidates are fighting to win the seats of the nation’s house. More than 2,500 men and women from around the country are running for 249 parliament seats. The most important thing for the election and pre-election campaign period is security under which both candidates, their campaigners and voters can go to practice democracy in a country that has been witnessing war, violence and anarchism for four decades.

Unfortunately, weak security situation is threatening the election despite the security forces’ tireless efforts in providing a safe ground for the election. The security forces’ efforts are appreciable and they are honestly doing their best not to let terrorist incidents take place, but the coward enemies are day and night in ambush to carry out cowardly attacks and display an insecure image of Afghanistan, especially on election days. Several candidates and their team workers as well as the people who had gathered in the voter registration centers have been so far targeted, from the deadly attack in Dasht-e-Barchi in the past months to the latest attack against a campaign meeting in the eastern province of Nangarhar. Enemy is enemy and does not care who is killed in his attacks. So, government and people should not expect the enemy to be friendly.

The government, security and intelligence bodies need to further beef up prevention measures. The intelligence directory has more critical job in this part. The enemies infiltrate using intelligence weak points particularly in the crossing points. The national directorate of security and other detection and intelligence departments at the ministries of defense and interior have to keep eyes out round the clock at the crossing points. People can be police themselves and can cooperate with police and other security organs when they see suspected persons or things around the campaign gatherings, crowded areas and other places that they think are vulnerable for terrorist attacks. Providing security is the basic steps of holding a successful election and guarantees high turnouts. More people will go to polls if there is satisfying security. Unlike, discouraged people will not risk to cast their ballots. This would lead the election towards failure and at last, affects the young democracy.