Afghanistan has entered into a phase in its life that is of utmost importance for its place in history and its immediate and far fledged future as well as meeting the needs of its population that has had more than their share of misery, wars, insecurity and hopelessness. This short paper deals only with some aspects of the upcoming presidential elections in April of 2014.


Ever since 2001, the name Karzai has been stapled with Afghanistan, her major issues such as nation building, security, development, democratization. It might be mentioned by the future politicians in passing when and if they explain their programs for Afghanistan and most likely in a negative tone like: He didn't do this, he didn't do that, but our administration would do it and would improve the lot of the people of Afghanistan. And soon afterwards when his name comes up people might say: Karzai, who?

Talk is cheap. It is especially so in countries where illiteracy is prevalent and education and educated masses are not. It is also true in countries where politicians run for office not on well defined platforms and agendas, but mainly on promises and on criticism of their rivals, past and present.

The ten candidates who have made it through the Independent Election Commission's application of the elections law make a group that includes all sorts of personalities. Prevalent among them are the warlords and on their tickets-for the appeasement of ethnicities their chosen running mates of different tribal affiliations etc. There are a few technocrats and an intellectual. And not to ignore Afghanistan's monarchical past, a grandson of the last King of the country-he carries a title of the nobility.

All of these are indications that elections will be mostly based on candidates' ethnicity, social status, history of jihadist activity, experience as warlords and level of insistence on the Islamic tradition of the country and the power of manipulation of masses mostly by means of money, intimidation, show of force and trickery. Political savvy, a well worked out platform, consideration of the country's priorities and the real needs of people based on statistics and even common sense observation are not considered.

The candidates will campaign for sure, not by unfolding practical plans but by huge parties offering food, and bribes of all kinds. As of today, in fact during the recent past few months, agents of the so called candidates were busy arranging for buying of votes especially considering the poverty that prevails in the country, some Internet media reports said.

There is also another factor in Afghan politics. Traditionally it was believed that if a professional is good at his profession he must be fit for any position. An example of this would be that if a surgeon was successful in all his surgeries, he could make a good Minister of Health or even a good Prime Minister. Or if an engineer was successful in his field of road construction he could make a good diplomat.

Two very good examples of this among the current group of candidates are an eye doctor with some experience of diplomacy and an intellectual with experience of tribal affairs. Another candidate has married into a religious family and there are even one or two religious figures with perhaps more knowledge of religious technology rather than governance. A young candidate, a member of the former royalty, hopes to ride on memories of the long and secure reign of his grandfather from his mother's side, thinking that once a prince, people would consider him always a prince. Does he have any political experience? The fact is he is not even known to many inside or outside the country and perhaps has lived most of his young life outside Afghanistan.

Some members of Karzai's immediate cabinet resigned their jobs ro run for president. Some observers have made speculations as to the reason for this. One commentator suggested that probably this is a machination devised by the administration to facilitate the election of its choice by lessening the chances of other candidates to be elected.

Another thing that is sure to show during the campaign would be a dwelling on Karzai's administration's failures. This would be magnified mostly by Karzai's first foreign minister who was ousted from the post and who did not accept any other position in Karzai's cabinet, because perhaps the role of chief diplomat was more attractive to him.

And finally there is, of course, the interventions by Afghanistan's neighbors who would like to push the candidates of their own choice. It is strange to note that some of the meetings about upcoming presidential elections have been held on tactics for winning of elections by particular groups not inside the country, but in one or another neighboring country or even Europe.

This leaves little hope for a real political campaign leading to finding of the best person to lead the country beyond 2014 and lead it to the benefit of the majority of Afghans giving them a chance to live as a united country in an atmosphere free from discrimination of all forms and manifestations including ethnicity, linguistic, gender and geographic. Afghanistan needs an era of peace, security, economic and social development during which it would dress its deep wounds caused by wars, terror, corruption, insecurity and overall need for rebuilding of an infrastructure commensurate with the requirements of the 21st century and above all justice for all and provision of all human rights including the rights of women and minorities.

So what is the solution to the problems ahead? Recently some organizations have come up with proposals for the creation of an interim government under the auspices of the United Nations with the participation of certain groups of interest from inside the country to discuss on the basis of the grave situations that exist now in the country or those that might result after the pull out of international forces from Afghanistan. Others insist on the creation of independent commissions to sit in consultation with the United Nations and informed and experienced devotees to the cause of Afghanistan who would have no claim to any membership in a solemn administration that might come about on the basis of the commission's resolution. How workable these are, is another question but these efforts show the level of distrust by certain groups in the process of election and the results thereof. It also seems that the people want change and a state whereby people would forget about the very hard more than a decade of the present administration and a time to say: "Karzai, who?"

Afghanistan especially at present is going through a phase in its existence that is super important for its place in history and for its future. This column will dwell on other issues of importance such as the issue of the strategic agreement with the United States and the issue of talks with Taliban in future postings.