Afghan runoff vote to face challenges
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The ice of election-related political standoff in Afghanistan began melting since Tuesday as the election body set Nov. 7 for second round polls, enabling Afghans to elect the country's president.
Afghanistan's second presidential election in the post-Taliban country was held on Aug. 20, however, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) had failed to announce the final result due to widespread fraud allegation marred the process.
Although, sitting president Hamid Karzai had bagged over 54 percent of the vote in the preliminary result announced by IEC in mid September, his nearest rival Abdullah Abdullah who won 28 percent, challenged it.
Abdullah, who submitted hundreds of complaints with the Election Complaints Commission(ECC), had vowed not to accept the election result unless all the complaints are thoroughly investigated.
The UN-backed five-member panel election monitoring body the Election Complaints Commission (ECC) which received more than 2,700 complaints on Monday invalidated 210 polling stations and thus lowered Karzai's vote bellow 50, taking the country to runoff.
In the wake of the decision by IEC to hold a runoff, the Afghan president hailed it as a legal step towards strengthening democracy in the country and accepted it.
Agreeing to runoff by president Karzai, according to media reports was announced after intense diplomat efforts and talks with Senator John Kerry the chairman of Foreign Relation Committee of US Senate who stayed in Kabul until the date for second round was announced.
Going for the second round is more challenging than the first round as Taliban militants are still posing the security threat and harsh winter is going to onset.
President Hamid Karzai at a joint press conference flanked by Senator John Kerry and UN special envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide said on Tuesday" We welcome the decision made by IEC. We believe the decision is legitimate, legal and in accordance with the constitution."
Nevertheless, he expressed sorrow that the first round of the election has been defamed.
His rival Abdullah also in a press conference on Wednesday appreciated the decision and asked Afghans to attend the runoff.
Holding runoff would be more challenging than expected, although IEC commissioner Azizullah Ludin in a press briefing said Wednesday that all measures and arrangements have been put on place to implement the process.
He gave the assurance while the weather is getting cold by each passing day and roads lining dozens of districts to provincial capitals especially in the central highlands would be blocked with first snowfall.
Furthermore, Taliban-linked insurgency has escalated and militants have influenced the peaceful Northern provinces which would ultimately reduce the turnout.
Fraud and vote-rigging have disappointed many Afghans to use their franchise in the second round voting.
"I have been disappointed because of fraud in election. We voted amid Taliban threat to elect the country's president but fraud not only trampled out votes, rather defamed the whole nation," an ordinary Afghan Mohammad Karim told Xinhua.
He also voiced that not only for the second round but forever he would stay away from balloting which has been the game by western powers.
Over the past one month, hundreds of thousands of people by staging protest demonstrations and issuing statements in different cities had warned to boycott the second round and called on IEC to announce the final result of the controversial polls.
Meantime, some Afghans are eager to cast their votes for the second round to elect the country's president.
"Come what may, I would cast my vote in favour of my favourite candidate in the runoff and this is my responsibility to use my franchise," another Afghan citizen Farooq Shah told Xinhua.
The U.N. chief Ban-Ki-Moon also admitted to the challenges laying ahead the second round election in Afghanistan.
Ban, according to media reports, said, "We will try to ensure that all Afghan people should be able to express their own will freely without intimidation or threat."
Chairman of U.S. Senate Foreign Relation Committee Senator JohnKerry also assured Tuesday that NATO-led forces would do everything to make the second round succeed.
Amid security concerns, Afghan Defense Ministry in a statement Wednesday assured that the national security forces are ready to ensure full proof security on the run-off voting day.
Though UN, U.S. and Afghan military have given the assurance, deteriorating security and the coming chilly weather are expected to force many staying indoors on second round Election Day.
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