The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) on Thursday called on government to step up efforts to appoint the head the election management body within four days.

The IEC also repeated its earlier warning that it would select one of its members to lead the election body unless the government met the deadline.

A commissioner from the election commission of Afghanistan Thursday alleged that the elections seemed to be off the government’s agenda.

While the government claims that it had directed the selection committee of the election commission to pick one nominee to take charge of the IEC, officials from the selection committee have hit out at the government insisting it had not done so.
 
“We are committed to appointing someone as chief of the IEC to ensure that our work is moved forward properly,” said IEC commissioner Maliha Hassan. 
 
“In terms of the presidential decree, the selection committee is continuing its work and, as a result, one member of the IEC will be appointed to lead it,” said deputy CEO spokesman, Jawed Faisal.
 
“One of the members is sick and he is out of the country for treatment. So far we have not done anything and the establishment of the selection committee is facing problems from a legal perspective,” said Yusuf Rashid, a former member of the selection committee.
 
According to the IEC, the government has not done enough to enable the election commission to carry out its work rapidly.
 
“The election commission is facing a lot of shortages from a structural perspective. I don’t think so that it will conduct the elections on time,” said Naeem Ayoubzada, head of a transparent election foundation of Afghanistan.
 
“Perhaps because there are a lot of problems in the country on the government’s agenda, there is a possibility that the election is not on the priority on the list,” added Maliha Hassan.
 
Election monitors have said that the IEC will not be able to pick someone as new chief in the face because of ongoing disagreements between the commissioners in the face of the pressure which has mounted on the election commission by the government.
 
Meanwhile, sources within the government have said that there is a possibility that a member of the IEC will also take the charge of the secretariat of the commission until such time as the fate of its secretariat chief is clarified. The IEC has expressed ignorance of the allegation.