Skip to main content
Latest news
Thumbnail

Government Delay Over IEC Head Slammed Again

The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) has again called on the government to step up efforts to appoint the head the election management body and accused the state of making irrelevant excuses for not doing so.
 
IEC officials warned on Tuesday that the election commission will conduct an internal election to pick someone to lead the election commission.
 
According to IEC, the government has not done enough to enable the election commission to carry out its work rapidly.
 
Responding to the IEC allegations, the presidential palace said the government is committed to paving the way for the elections to be held on time and pick someone as IEC member as soon as possible.
 
“The government is committed that elections be held on time. Necessary measures have been taken regarding election security and its financing. The appointment of the head of the commission will take place in terms of the law,” said deputy presidential spokesman Dawa Khan Menapal.
 
“The plan has been sent to government and ministry of finance to secure the budget for the process,” added Sayad.
 
The election commission states that the Afghan election will be held on time if the government made sure that the financial expenditure and security of the polling is finalized. 
 
“We are prepared to hold the elections in 1397 (2018) on condition that the government also focuses on the issue,” said IEC acting chief Waseema Badghisi.
 
Amid controversy over the position of IEC chairman, ambiguity also exists on the fate of head of the secretariat of the elections commission.
 
“I am an employee of the government, if the president believes that in our absence national interests will be restored, then we do not have anything to say,” said the head of the IEC Secretariat, Imam Mohammad Warimach.
 
Warimach said he is continuing his job regardless.
 
The election body said it has dispatched a new plan to the government on the basis of which the IEC will be suggesting the use of paper identity cards in the voting process in the next elections.
 
“We want to remind the government that the twenty-day timeline will also end. If one of our members was not appointed during this period, the election commission will manage the elections itself,” said IEC spokesman Abdul Badi Sayyad.
 
The IEC believes that if the plan is endorsed by the government, it would be able to conduct the elections with less money.
 
“This will be the smallest amount of money to be spent on elections in Afghanistan,” said Rafiullah Bedar, member of IEC.
 
The IEC’s problems with the government come at a time that the commission has wrapped up its assessment of over 7,000 polling stations in the country and have found that 1740 (over 24 percent) polling stations are still under serious security threats.

Government Delay Over IEC Head Slammed Again

The Election Commission threatens to elect its own leader if the government does not do so urgently.

Thumbnail

The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) has again called on the government to step up efforts to appoint the head the election management body and accused the state of making irrelevant excuses for not doing so.
 
IEC officials warned on Tuesday that the election commission will conduct an internal election to pick someone to lead the election commission.
 
According to IEC, the government has not done enough to enable the election commission to carry out its work rapidly.
 
Responding to the IEC allegations, the presidential palace said the government is committed to paving the way for the elections to be held on time and pick someone as IEC member as soon as possible.
 
“The government is committed that elections be held on time. Necessary measures have been taken regarding election security and its financing. The appointment of the head of the commission will take place in terms of the law,” said deputy presidential spokesman Dawa Khan Menapal.
 
“The plan has been sent to government and ministry of finance to secure the budget for the process,” added Sayad.
 
The election commission states that the Afghan election will be held on time if the government made sure that the financial expenditure and security of the polling is finalized. 
 
“We are prepared to hold the elections in 1397 (2018) on condition that the government also focuses on the issue,” said IEC acting chief Waseema Badghisi.
 
Amid controversy over the position of IEC chairman, ambiguity also exists on the fate of head of the secretariat of the elections commission.
 
“I am an employee of the government, if the president believes that in our absence national interests will be restored, then we do not have anything to say,” said the head of the IEC Secretariat, Imam Mohammad Warimach.
 
Warimach said he is continuing his job regardless.
 
The election body said it has dispatched a new plan to the government on the basis of which the IEC will be suggesting the use of paper identity cards in the voting process in the next elections.
 
“We want to remind the government that the twenty-day timeline will also end. If one of our members was not appointed during this period, the election commission will manage the elections itself,” said IEC spokesman Abdul Badi Sayyad.
 
The IEC believes that if the plan is endorsed by the government, it would be able to conduct the elections with less money.
 
“This will be the smallest amount of money to be spent on elections in Afghanistan,” said Rafiullah Bedar, member of IEC.
 
The IEC’s problems with the government come at a time that the commission has wrapped up its assessment of over 7,000 polling stations in the country and have found that 1740 (over 24 percent) polling stations are still under serious security threats.

Share this post