KABUL (SW) – Presidential candidate, Haneef Atmar, on Monday called for an interim government to hold presidential elections in the country.
Addressing a presser, the candidate of the ‘Peace and Moderation’, electoral ticket, said the current government has lost the authority to hold the polls. Charging the government for running the campaign of President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Atmar said no presidential candidate was consulted over sacking of the electoral commission bosses.
He warned this ‘purposeful’ act would have serious legal repercussions.
He also charged the government for allegedly rigging the Wolesi Jirga (lower house) elections. He said the sacked officials of the electoral commissions have proof in this regard. He said the government procured devices for biometric verification of voters, but did not own the glitches associated with it. Atmar also charged the government over selective and purposeful implementation of the laws.
He announced to soon form a commission to oversee the activities of the government.
Atmar said President Ghani has sacked a number of government officials associated with the Peace and Moderation team. He added a total of 12 senior officials, including deputy to the CEO, Mohammad Mohaqiq, have been sacked by the government. Atmar dubbed this as a discriminatory move against his team.
He said the peoples’ trust in the government has dwindled. Atmar said his team has handed over a proposal for reforms to the government, and most of the candidates are on the same page in terms of a code of conduct to ensure state resources are not used for electoral campaigns.
He also vowed to strive together with a number of presidential candidates to legally put an end to the tenure of the National Unity Government.
Commenting on these remarks, Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman for the President, said all moves by the government are in line with the law. He said documented proof should be presented to back these allegations.
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