KABUL (SW): A number of Election Monitoring Committee members said that the President Office has not consulted them on the newly amended electoral reform draft.
They claimed that the President Office has amended the new electoral reform draft without consultation with the Election Monitoring Committees. The members to Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society said in this regard that if the draft is amended in accordance with the Electoral Reform Commission’s plan, then it can resolve the current crisis in the country.
Earlier this week, the Presidency issued a note saying that the National Unity Government has finalized the new dratf for electoral reforms, and soon the draft would be sent to the cabinet for approval.
The Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) issued a press note on Monday, saying that the NUG’s delegation has amended the electoral reform drat after receiving the advice made by the monitoring commission for the implementation of the Constitution. This press note read that the new draft would be sent to cabinet for approval.
The press note also read that the Government’s Legislative Committee, chaired by Second Vice President Muhammad Sarwar Danish, together with members from executive committee have amended the new draft after discussion with members of the Electoral Reform Commission, civil society members and experts at the international organization.
Muhammad Naem Ayubzadah, the chairperson for Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan (TEFA), said that the
Presidency has amended the new draft without consultation with the Election Monitoring Committees. He stated that, in the draft, the Independent Election Complaints Commission (IECC) has been dissolved, and instead a new 5-member committee has been founded to replace it.
Jandad Spenghar, the head of Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society, however said that the newly amended electoral reform draft has been engineered by the government. He added if the draft is amended in accordance with the Electoral Reform Commission’s plan, then it can resolve the current crisis in the country, otherwise, the draft would be rejected by the electoral commissions.
Shah Husain Murtazawi, the deputy spokesperson to the President, however told Salam Watandar that the newly amended electoral reform draft would be handed over to cabinet for approval. He added that the Presidency is committed to apply the political agreement of the National Unity Government.
ENDS
