Bad Luck Democracy...See You Next Time in Afghanistan!

The head of Afghanistan’s election commission says the country’s presidential election will be held Aug 20. The elections were earlier scheduled to be held in April of this year. It has been delayed for four months thus violating the constitution of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan which clearly rules that "The Presidential elections shall be held 30-60 days prior to the end of serving President's Tenure" and serving Afghan President Hamid Karzai's five-year term officially expires May 22 and he is expected to seek re-election.

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Although he has several politicians. The country’s election, therefore, should have been held in the spring, according to the Afghan constitution. But Azizullah Loden, the commission’s chief, says the delay is allowed by a clause in the constitution if a lack of security makes a vote impossible.

Interestingly the clause of the constitution to which he refers, illustrates only in case the serving president's health breaks down, or he dies or any other circumstance may avoid him of discharging duties. It's quite silent on the question of postponement of Elections.

Other Afghan officials have said the country simply doesn’t have enough time to declare candidates, print ballots and distribute them around the country by spring.

The above report flushed across the world today surprising many who strongly stood for democracy in Afghanistan. Although the reasons quoted above may appear logical to some but it won't appeal to the logic of those who know Afghanistan better. Simply because Afghanistan is not made for democracy.

Afghanistan first become a republic when through a coup Dawood Khan dethroned King Zahir Khan in 1974, since then it never had presidential elections till Taliban were removed from power by the US in December of 2001. Afghans first elected their current president Hamid Karzai in a historic election in 2004.

Now that his tenure is over, due to some mischief, it is delayed citing security or climatic or logistical or economical reasons. The question that can arouse curiosity is: Didn't the Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly)that drafted the constitution of this unfortunate country know that climate may be a factor? or poor economy may hinder elections on time?

The simple point is that the people interested in Afghanistan's politics need to be educated that Afghanistan has never been a democracy and how could one dream of having such leaders in Afghanistan that would honor democratic values? Was really the present President elected or selected? So many questions go unanswered in Afghanistan. What sort of democracy has flourished in Afghanistan? Is it a democracy to curse young people because they bring in new ideas? Is it democracy to allow certain conservatives to control media?

It appears as if democracy is shying away from Afghanistan again and we are returning to the dark days of civil dictatorship. To my support, analysts strongly believe that the parliament may extend the reign of Karzai for four more months. In afghanistan four months is a very heinous count.

It was in 1992 when the Mujahideen head, now the head of Alliance of Opposition Parties Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani was allowed to rule for four months as the transitional president so that the ground may be leveled for a presidential elections but the world knows that he got stuck to the chair and ruled for four years illegally as the president of Afghanistan.

I hope it never happens so for Karzai. Afghans deserve more for they have been the victims of great powers who turned their country into a battle field. Now is the time that Afghans come around and think collectively on the future of their country otherwise, they may soon perish as a divided nation.

For now democracy hasn't found a strong root in Afghan land rather it was rooted on loose soil of undemocratic people. Hope August comes soon so that Afghans may see a new face in their Presidential Palace "Gul Khana".