KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The commander of Canadian Forces in Kandahar says he hopes Afghanistan's election would usher in a changed political atmosphere in the war-torn country.
Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance said the Thursday vote was an opportunity for a new mandate for whomever is victorious once the results come in. Preliminary results now won't be released until at least Tuesday, and the final tally is not expected for a few weeks.
"I certainly hope there is a changed political atmosphere here in Kandahar," Vance told The Canadian Press in an interview just prior to the presidential and provincial council elections.
"I don't mean to say changed political actors ... The ideal would be a refreshed political atmosphere, regardless of who the political actors are."
There has been frustration among Afghans and the international community with the government of President Hamid Karzai, which has seemingly been unable to improve services for the public or deal with the corruption that is rife within its ranks.
Karzai is heavily favoured to win, but his plummeting popularity -- even in his Pashtun homeland of Kandahar province -- has led to increasing speculation that the embattled president might not get the 50 per cent plus one portion of the vote to avoid a run-off election in October, or to give a strong and credible mandate for his leadership.
Canada's strategy in Kandahar province, the Taliban stronghold where Canadian troops have been battling the insurgents since 2006, is contingent upon the Afghan government's ability to improve life for residents. That part of the equation has often been lacking.
Vance said he hopes the post-election period might produce "a little bit of political excitement."
"And I would also trust that the political actors in Afghanistan would recognize that the international community is looking for tangible progress and a good partner to work with in Afghanistan," Vance said.
The commander of Canada's Task Force Kandahar said the next government needs to put more energy into providing those services "in an environment free from corruption, or perception of corruption; in an environment where people are comfortable that the election process has produced what an election is supposed to."
He said Canadian and international troops will work at providing the security so Afghans have access to their government, and their government has access to them.
"I certainly have high hopes. I believe we're in a position to expect progress and action, good solid action, from the government of Afghanistan," Vance said.
There is also the question of whether the election - just the third ever held in Afghanistan, and held in the midst of war - went as smoothly as hoped. Few doubt that there was fraud, but it remains to be seen whether that fraud was within an acceptable threshold for the results to be viewed as legitimate.
In Kandahar, regional electoral officer Abdul Qahir Wasifi said Friday that the Independent Election Commission was still waiting to collect ballot boxes from some remote districts.
Wasifi said no final results were available but he estimated 50 per cent of registered voters cast their ballots in Kandahar, one of the most restive provinces in the country.
Grant Kippen, the Canadian chairman of the Afghan Electoral Complaints Commission, said Friday it's too early to say how many complaints were filed across the country. Over the next five to seven days complaints filed at polling centres countrywide will come in.
"I think there were a lot of doom and gloom scenarios being discussed before election day and I think it went quite well," he said.
"This is an emerging democracy. Yes, there's going to be some problems along the way."
Kippen anticipates a lot of complaints. Of the 100 that have already come into the commission headquarters, most relate to process issues such as polling centres opening late, but there have also been allegations of fraud and intimidation at some centres.
Complaints that could be material to the outcome will be given priority for investigation.
"Right now everybody requires a little patience as this process works its way through," he said.
Vance warned that there could be a period of instability following the vote. There may have to be a run-off vote and even if there is a clear winner, the government will need time to organize.
"So the immediate aftermath of the election may be accompanied by some political instability," he said.
