News - Afghanistan

Afghanistan will have a fair and transparent election in 2014, presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi said Wednesday, reiterating the president's statements against foreign advisers in the election commission.

At a press conference in Kabul, Faizi supported President Hamid Karzai's stance against having two foreign advisers on the board of the Election Complaints Commission (ECC) saying that Afghanistan is capable running a fair and transparent election and any foreigners in the ECC is a violation of the country's sovereignty.

"Today Afghanistan has the capability and qualities to launch a fair and transparent election – the presence of foreigners at the Election Complaints Commission will not guarantee the transparency of election," he said, adding that the Afghan government and political parties will also not be able to intervene.

"Afghanistan is not a dictatorship for the government to intervene in the election process – there are guarantees that not only the Afghan government but also political parties will not be allowed any kind of intervention in the election," Faizi said.

However, Afghan political expert Mohammad Asif Wardak fears that these guarantees will not stop the vast corruption leading up to the election.

"The existence of corruption in Afghanistan is more the point of concern than any other thing. This will definitely have a negative impact on the process of an election," he told TOLOnews.

Insecurity, weak governance, and a looming financial slowdown are also among the challenges ahead of the Afghan government as it attempts to ensure the presidential selection is transparent.

First vice president of Afghanistan Mohammad Qasim Fahim recently said that if the security situation deteriorates, hosting a transparent and nationwide election would be impossible.