Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Kabul (BNA) The United Nation Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called on the Independent (IEC) and Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) to adobe the principles of impartiality and neutrality in 14 June runoff elections.
“Afghanistan passes through critical situations, the electoral bodies must keep neutrality in the election process and the presidential candidates should also pursue better management of their supporters,” UNAMA chief Yan Kubiŝ said. The UN special representative to Afghanistan also touched on the issue of electoral frauds and urged the supporters of the two candidates do not resort on act of frauds and riggings during the elections.
“UNAMA is completed neutral in the election process and doesn’t support any particular candidate, Kubis added. This comes at a time that the surge group including the Taliban has vowed to disrupt the elections which is expected to be held on 14 June, 2014. But, the Taliban’s warning was strongly denounced by the UN officials and international community. In his statement at the NATO defense ministers meeting in the Belgiam capital of Brussels, Mr. Kubiŝ slammed Taliban’s warning to dismantle the elections and said that the group failed to prevent Afghan people from voting in the first round of the elections. “Taliban’s efforts for disrupting election elections in the first round failed and Afghan forces proved their war capabilities to maintain security during the polling,” Kubiŝ further said. He called on the world countries to continue supporting Afghan National Security Forces.
In a recent statement, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai reiterated his commitments to continue backing transparent and credible elections and said the elections must be conducted. The president called on the security organs to work hard and provide satisfactory security coverage to the elections. Considering vitality of the upcoming elections on Afghanistan’s social, political and economic situations, people from different walks of life including civil society institutions, political parties, intellectuals and the common people are determined to commute to the polling booths on 5 April 2014 to cast ballots in the election and mark the destiny of the country with their own hands.
There is a historic narration, saying “a nation form a government which it deserves”. It reveals that in the past the people of Afghanistan by confronting certain issues failed to form a government that could lead the country towards sustainable democracy, longstanding security, national unity and development. But 2014 elections provides another opportunity to the Afghan nation to wisely, accurately, deliberately, carefully and intelligently use their democratic rights and vote in the favor of a candidate who maintains a strong, comprehensive, logical, applicable and strategic vision for the country.
The upcoming elections would be much different better than the previous elections. Because, the upcoming elections is held in quite sensitive circumstances and the country prepares to conduct the political and military transitions after coping with several years of conflicts and political turmoil. Holding of transparent and credible elections will also convey a clear message to the world community that today Afghanistan has reached on political maturity and this nation deserves to be supported by the international community in the long term period.
Successful election will also foil the conspiracies and plots of the enemies who intend to sabotage the process and forge the state of chaos and uncertainly. Because, the elections is the only alternative to promote unity and solidarity among all Afghan ethnic groups and eliminate the sense of discrimination and deprivation among particularly casts. It is quite significant to realize that security still remained an important factor that could overshadow legitimacy and credibility of the poll. The government must utilize all available resources to conduct the elections under peaceful environment. Every Afghan citizen has moral and national obligation to contribute in this sphere and bring the war-devastated country out of the conflicts and challenges.
A number of political parties, political commentators and civil society institutions have said that the government will accomplish its obligation with honesty and patriotism and will not allow anyone to middle in the election process. “The Afghans have now realized that 30 years of conflicts not only helped but it devastated the country and fueled tensions between the people, the disagreements and tensions must be ended to avoid further instability in the country,” political analyst Amir Mohammad said. Meanwhile, a number of citizens have also emphasized that the elections must be conducted in free and transparent manner so that no question is raised over legitimacy and credibility of the polling process.
“Despite threats, our people voted in the elections, unfortunately none of the candidates gained 50+1 percent of the votes and the election swept to the second round, we hope that transparent remain standard in the runoff elections,” local resident Wali Mohammad said. “Now it is the time that the government and political parties reach a consensus on national issues in order to strengthen national unity. April 5 historic election saw unexpectedly high turnout, after Afghan people by defying fears of militant violence and speculations that suspicion of fraud would keep voters from showing up in large numbers for the country’s first democratic history. Although Election Day reportedly saw less ballot box stuffing and voter fraud than was the case in 2009, accusations of improprieties biasing certain candidates have increased in the days since.
The historic elections witnessed unprecedented high turnout after the people of Afghanistan defied the threats and intimidation of the surge groups and speculations on possible riggings and frauds participated in the elections in large manner to lead the country toward political stability, long-standing peace and security. 14 June elections will also pave the way for peaceful transition of political power from one elected president to another. Holding of elections are interpreted a great achievement for the Afghan people and the government. Because, the Taliban on the order of their foreign masterminds had joined other terrorist organizations to sabotage the election process somehow. There are a lot of apprehensions and fears among the people that the country will face major attacks. Because, the Taliban and terriers had warned to conduct suicide attacks and explosions on the Election Day to sabotage the historic elections, the election had only on loser which was the Taliban.
