KABUL (SW): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Sunday welcomed the establishment of the Electoral System Reform Commission.
“This is an important step,” said Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. “We look forward to a credible, inclusive and transparent electoral reform process. UNAMA encourages the Afghan authorities to make the necessary decisions on the electoral calendar for the next parliamentary and other polls”, he added.
On Thursday (16 July), President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani appointed Sultan Shah Akefi as the commission head and Siddiqullah Tawhidi as its deputy. Earlier, the Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah expressed reservations against women parliamentarian Shukria Barakzai’s appointment as commission head. The Presidential Palace (Arg) expressed hope the commission would help pave way for parliamentary elections that are already
In a statement, UNAMA also acknowledged the nomination of Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, to the Commission.
The United Nations will not be a voting-member of the Commission. Its role will be to provide advice and technical expertise based on international best practices, while respecting the sovereign right of Afghanistan to make the final decisions on electoral reforms.
Yamamoto is the United Nations’ focal point for electoral support to Afghanistan and will coordinate international assistance to the Electoral System Reform Commission.
“Electoral reforms are essential to restoring the faith of the Afghan people in the democratic process and will lead to greater political stability,” Yamamoto said in the statement.
The Presidential Palace has hinted that the commission would pave way for parliamentary elections that are well over-due.
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