KABUL (SW): Najibullah Ahmadzai, former chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) said that he has been dismissed on the basis of an incorrect decision by President, and he will not accept his dismissal decree issued by President Ashraf Ghani.
The president of Afghanistan dismissed the head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) yesterday. By the order of President Ghani, the relevant institutions were asked to propose a new candidate list for a new member of the commission.
The IEC former head, said at a news conference in Kabul today, that all the capabilities of the IEC are under the control of the Presidential Palace, and that more than 30 meetings of this commission were held in the Presidential Palace.
Ahmadzai added that some IEC commissioners had been forced by a number of people to propose his dismissal. He said that the current commissioners of the IEC cannot hold a transparent election due to affiliations to political parties.
Dawa Khan Menapal, deputy spokesperson for the president, however, rejected the claim of the former head of the IEC and said that Ahmadzai has been dismissed due to inefficiency and inability of his work.
Meanwhile, members of the Jabhai-e Mili Nawin Afghanistan (Afghanistan New National Front Party) in a meeting in Kabul, appreciated the removal of Ahmadzai, and called on the president to introduce a new capable person to the commission in consultation with the political parties.
Previously, a number of the members of the National Assembly and political parties had accused the government of taking over the IEC and interfering with its affairs, but the government has consistently denied these allegations.
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