Afghan Elections preliminary results: Chinking Afghan Society
Kabul: Thousands of non-Pashtun supporters of Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah protested against sitting President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday and chanted slogans against sitting President Hamid Karzai demanding “Death to Karzai”.
This strong reaction shows that non- Pashtun strata of society is not ready to accept preliminary results announced by the Independent Election Commission on Monday. Results indicate that Ashraf Ghani won the second round with 56.44 percent of the vote. These are not final results but already ignited the non- Pashtun society. Abdullah Abdullah criticized election Commission and accused it for rigging in favour of Pashtun candidate Ashraf Ghani.
Polling votes trend indicate that Pashtun belt and Pashto speaking people have rejected a non- Pashtun candidate—Abdullah Abdullah and voted in Run Off only for a Pashtun candidate.
Political observers fear further disintegration of Afghan society and it looks the country is already divided into Pashtun and Non- Pashtun groups and both may not live together in future. Non Pashtun groups accused President Hamid Karzai, of helping rig the vote in favour of Ghani.
Some Abdullah supporters have suggested he should declare victory and form a parallel government, a move that can virtually and practically dived Afghanistan.
US Secretary of State John Kerry smelled the situation and expressed his concern that any attempt to take power illegally will follow by unrest in Afghanistan.
“I have noted reports of protests in Afghanistan and of suggestions of a ‘parallel government’ with the gravest concern. Any action to take power by extra-legal means will cost Afghanistan the financial and security support of the United States and the international community”, he said in a statement issued by the US embassy in Kabul.
The deadlock over the vote has invalidated optimism for a smooth transition of power in Afghanistan. It is important to note that Non- Pashtun strata of society already feels that destruction to Afghanistan is brought by Pashtuns as Afghan Taliban are 100% Pashtuns. Youth believe that a divided Afghanistan can be more peaceful, crime free and prosper.
