Afghan electoral crisis

The political crisis in Afghanistan deepened on Wednesday when Abdullah Abdullah, who won the first round of presidential election but lost the run-off to his rival Ashraf Ghani walked out of the UN-supervised audit as well. Notably, the audit was part of a deal brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry after Abdullah had refused to accept the result of the June 14 second round, demanding a complete vote recount. The UN tried to save the situation following his boycott by requesting Ghani's team to withdraw its observers explaining that "underlying this request was a realisation that audit must not only have integrity, it must be seen to be evenhanded by all Afghans."
Unfortunately, however, the situation once again threatens to revive old factional rivalries at a time the US and its Nato allies are just about to complete the withdrawal of all combat troops from Afghanistan, and the Afghan security forces are battling the Taliban for control of the northern Kunduz province. The last thing the country needs is infighting among the politicians. The US, of course, has its own worries, compelling Kerry to make two quick trips to Kabul to defuse tensions and push the two presidential contenders to agree to cooperate. The crisis holds serious repercussions for Pakistan as well in case the rivalries erupt into a civil war. But the worst sufferers will be the Afghan people. The squabbling between Ghani and Abdullah would serve as a fresh encouragement to the battle-hardened and emboldened Taliban to try and re-establish their regressive rule in large swathes of the country, if not in Kabul too.
The two leaders need to put personal ambitions below the interest of their country and the people who have endured 35 long years of foreign occupations and a brutal civil war in between. It would be helpful for all concerned to see the reality for what it is, and find a solution accordingly. The reality is that post the US withdrawal the country would still be faced with a formidable insurgency. Nothing should be more important than presenting a united response to the impending threat. Extraordinary situations such as this one call for extraordinary solutions. In the present case, it should be a power-sharing arrangement. An unexpected high number of voter turnout in the presidential election lends genuine legitimacy to the two top contenders. It would be best if both have a role in the new government. Kerry presented a decent proposal during his mediatory effort, suggesting a unity government with the president's office going to the winner of the largest number of votes-believed to be Ghani-and that of vice president to the one finishing second. According to press reports, US officials have stepped in to hold emergency talks with Abdullah. Hopefully, he can be convinced to accept the UN-supervised vote audit and play a productive role in the government to be sworn in on September 2.