In a surprise turn of events, the results of the Afghan run-off elections are not quite what everyone was expecting on both sides of the border. A big change from the April round of elections in which Abdullah Abdullah was in the lead, the new preliminary results of last month’s election run-off show that his competitor Ashraf Ghani has taken a sharp lead — at 56 percent while Abdullah lags behind at 43 percent. Abdullah Abdullah seemed like the clear winner and this result has the capacity to not just shock but create plenty of divisions, especially along ethnic lines, in the troubled country. There could be a number of explanations for this sudden and radical shift in electoral fortunes. One must remember that the first round of elections about three months back served to eliminate all the other candidates. It may have been that Ashraf Ghani, a Pashtun, had his Pashtun votes divided at that point in time, sharing such votes with other Pashtun candidates in the election race. All those votes could have piled up in his favour now that he is the only Pashtun candidate. Afghanistan’s Pashtun population has been estimated at around 40 percent, giving this ethnic group an edge in the vote bank. Another reason for this change in results could be that the other Pashtun candidates, no longer in the running for president, have put their weight behind Ghani, helping him gain a decisive lead against Abdullah Abdullah, a man associated with the largely Tajik Northern Alliance. The last reason is one that is being touted most vehemently by Abdullah Abdullah himself. He claims that there has been massive electoral fraud and rigging. An official investigation is pending on the results of 2,000 polling stations where it is suspected fraudulent ballots were cast. Abdullah Abdullah and his supporters are outraged at these results that they declare are marred by fraud and refuse to accept them. What is worrisome is that Afghanistan may not see the peaceful transition of one government to another as was hoped would happen with these elections. The main worry now seems to be the likelihood of a power grab in the volatile country. That is the last thing needed in a country already ravaged by civil war, the Taliban onslaught and US occupation. What must be done is to address the objections and complaints of Abdullah Abdullah and his followers. If Ashraf Ghani is confident of the support he enjoys, he should have no reason to object to proper investigations into the allegations of electoral fraud. If he has won by a clean and clear majority, there is nothing more to be done, but suspicion must be removed. If Ashraf Ghani is finally mandated to assume the presidency in Afghanistan, it would be a wise course of action to include Abdullah Abdullah in his administration, in other words have his competition on his team rather than against it. These are some of the tough decisions that need to be taken in light of the fact that this is Afghanistan we are talking about. Anything that happens here affects the entire region, particularly Pakistan. We are conducting a military offensive against the Taliban militants in North Waziristan and our border with Afghanistan is a hot zone for the entry and exit of terrorists. We need to have whichever government is in power in Afghanistan on the same page as us and for there to be no ethnic strife in that country that can be manipulated by the Taliban who must, undoubtedly, be watching the unfolding drama from the fringes with great interest for its possibilities for them. We cannot have Afghanistan poised at the brink of another civil war otherwise the whole region could be set on fire. These elections must be clean and fair, and the outcome must be beneficial for all, which of course excludes the militants. *