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Caretakers Still Running Key IEC Directorates

An investigation by TOLOnews found that ten directorates, the secretariat and the position of the deputy of operations of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) are being run by caretakers.

Many of these directorates have been run by caretakers for more than a year.

Sources at the commission said the ongoing care-taking trend is a combination of a lack of trust and a rift among members of the electoral body.

The directorates include: 

•    Directorate of law
•    Directorate of planning 
•    Directorate of elections training 
•    Directorate of logistics 
•    Directorate of finance and accounting
•    Directorate of foreign relations
•    Directorate of information technology 
•    Directorate of public awareness
•    Directorate of Human Resources 

“Relations are considered mostly instead of merit. This creates a rift among IEC members which results in a delay in the appointments process,” said Mohammad Naeem Asghari, head of programs of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan.

The commission held a test for 10 directorates of provinces and six directorates of districts in the central office in Kabul but due to disagreements only five individuals were appointed for provincial offices of the electoral body.

“I am not confirming that the process was delayed due to a rift (between IEC members) but this process was delayed due to a busy schedule of the commission and its directorates,” said Sayed Hafizullah Hashemi, a member of the Independent Election Commission.

A document obtained by TOLOnews shows that another reason behind the delay in appointments is the failure of the head of the commission and members of the commission to agree on decisions.

According to a recent decision by the IEC members, the candidates who achieved the required score should have been appointed in provinces which have caretakers, but the head of the commission decided to call again for applications. 

“The election commission unfortunately cannot make decisions independently because there is ARG’s (Presidential Palace) interference in appointments. Anyone who is going to be appointed to the commission should pass through the filter of a group in ARG,” said Fazl Ahmad Manawi, the former head of the IEC.

Caretakers Still Running Key IEC Directorates

Sources say that in some cases the head of the IEC does not accept decisions made by members of the commission regarding new appointments. 

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An investigation by TOLOnews found that ten directorates, the secretariat and the position of the deputy of operations of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) are being run by caretakers.

Many of these directorates have been run by caretakers for more than a year.

Sources at the commission said the ongoing care-taking trend is a combination of a lack of trust and a rift among members of the electoral body.

The directorates include: 

•    Directorate of law
•    Directorate of planning 
•    Directorate of elections training 
•    Directorate of logistics 
•    Directorate of finance and accounting
•    Directorate of foreign relations
•    Directorate of information technology 
•    Directorate of public awareness
•    Directorate of Human Resources 

“Relations are considered mostly instead of merit. This creates a rift among IEC members which results in a delay in the appointments process,” said Mohammad Naeem Asghari, head of programs of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan.

The commission held a test for 10 directorates of provinces and six directorates of districts in the central office in Kabul but due to disagreements only five individuals were appointed for provincial offices of the electoral body.

“I am not confirming that the process was delayed due to a rift (between IEC members) but this process was delayed due to a busy schedule of the commission and its directorates,” said Sayed Hafizullah Hashemi, a member of the Independent Election Commission.

A document obtained by TOLOnews shows that another reason behind the delay in appointments is the failure of the head of the commission and members of the commission to agree on decisions.

According to a recent decision by the IEC members, the candidates who achieved the required score should have been appointed in provinces which have caretakers, but the head of the commission decided to call again for applications. 

“The election commission unfortunately cannot make decisions independently because there is ARG’s (Presidential Palace) interference in appointments. Anyone who is going to be appointed to the commission should pass through the filter of a group in ARG,” said Fazl Ahmad Manawi, the former head of the IEC.

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