Afghanistan
as a multiethnic and tribal society has been transitioning since the ousting of
the Taliban regime in late 2001. However, seemingly people nowadays – after 13
years – decide based on ethnicity rather than meritocracy. This claim is virtually
proved during 2014 election. More than 87.29% votes were cast in favor of Dr.
Abdullah Abdullah in his Panjshir province where almost all residents are
Tajik, while 63.35% for Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai in Logar where great portion of
Ahmadzai tribe populated.
The
incumbent government is unprecedented in terms of participation from various
ethnicities in the modern history of Afghanistan (1747), and this multiethnic
structure of the government is largely perceived a great step toward nation
building. This nascent process of nation building will take at least a
generation to be matured. However, by 66% participation in first round of
election, Afghans showed their commitment and enthusiasm for their future.
The
teams’ structure of the leading runners Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani
Ahmadzai per se tells how ethnicity matters in intra-Afghan politics. Dr. Abdullah ethnic Tajik - claimed to be Pashtun of Kandahar - selected Pashtun and Hazara his first and second vice presidents respectively. Likewise, Ashraf
Ghani ethnic Pashtun selected Uzbek and Hazara his first and second vice
presidents respectively.
To
secure the other ethnicities votes, both runners have targeted leading and
influential personalities of each ethnicity. Dr. Zalmai Rasool and Gul Agha
Shirzai, ethnic Pashtun, who obtained 11.37 % and 1.57 % respectively in the
first round of election, joined Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. Ahmad Zia Massoud,
ethnic Tajik and first vice president of Dr. Zalmai Rasool in his first round
of election, joined Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. Although the dominance and
popularity of the coalition members are under question, both runners tried to
demonstrate their next government will be inclusive. This mix and inclusive
team structure should be appraised, unless it is symbolic and for sheer
demonstration.
Afghan
Independent Election Commission (IEC) has already expressed their concerns and
demanded the runners to avoid using ethnicity-oriented issues during their
election campaign. This race-based
campaign is trending and is very tangible on Facebook and Twitter promoted by
assigned social-media savvies.
Eligible
Afghans rarely discuss, if they understand, candidates’ future policy and plans
about how to tackle corruption, meet security challenges, support and secure Afghan
trade in this competitive market and peruse foreign relations of the so-called graveyard country with brother neighbors. But the voters decide
based on ethnicity and personality. Besides that, when it comes to criticism –
the dominate part of the so-called Afghan intellectuals and youths’ behavior -
they are critiquing personality rather than policy. Labeling someone racist,
fascist, and narrow-minded is the easiest answer to wrap up debates and
arguments.
Afghan
media outlets and their employees are equally responsible for diverging and pushing
people in ethnicity line particularly during the election campaign. Prominent
media and Journalists who have thousands of fans posting and tweeting
discriminative messages and ideas, which go viral.
Election
as a competition will end in around a month. We as Afghans and bureaucrats are
the supplementing component of the next government. The criteria for choosing a
person should be merit, though this ‘should
be’ for the time being seems sheer idealistic. Afghanistan, ruled by
tribalism for more than three centuries, is in transition and ethnicity is a if not the driving force to shape overall outcome of the runoff and maybe
at least in the next election of 2019 as well.
