In this debate, host Lotfullah Najafizada held a discussion with a panel of experts on different aspects of Afghanistan’s upcoming parliamentary and district councils elections and next year’s presidential elections - with a special focus on the challenges and opportunities ahead. 

The panelists were Minister of Interior Wais Barmak; IEC chief Abdul Badi Sayyad; IECC chairman Azizullah Aryayee and New National Front of Afghanistan chairman Anwarul Haq Ahadi. 
 
Core points of the debate: 
 
•        Security around the upcoming elections 
•        Concerns about fraud and vote rigging
•        Role of political parties in the elections
•        Biometric system 
•        Ghazni election crisis 
•        The progress made by the election management bodies to ensure credibility and transparency of the elections
•        Impact of fake ID cards and ghost voters on the credibility and legitimacy of the elections
 
Minister of Interior Wais Ahmad Barmak said that the Afghan security forces are on red alert to ensure the security of the process. However he confirmed that nearly 20 percent of registration centers remained closed due to threats during the voter registration process while 11 districts are not under the control of security forces, but he assured the public that another 380 districts are under government  control.
 
Barmak said that every Afghan person has the right to vote and no one can boycott the elections. He added that the process must be done as per the timeline and that the security forces have rendered heavy sacrifices for elections and no one should disrupt the process. 
 
Ahadi, chairman of the New National Front of Afghanistan, said that the political parties and the political movements of Afghanistan want credible elections and that the Afghan government and the election commission must  guarantee this.