Electoral Reform Commission shared people’s recommendations with Senate Members

KABUL: Exemption from punishment and support of the corrupt and illegal conductors in the electoral commissions are the main reasons why Afghanistan’s elections went into crisis, a senate member said.

A joint meeting was held between the Electoral Reforms Commission and members of the Senate House in Kabul on Saturday.

The electoral reforms commission members have travelled to a number of provinces in Afghanistan to collect people’s recommendations and views regarding bringing reforms in the electoral system.

The following recommendations were highlighted by the head of the Commission as the main request from Afghans across the country: heavy penalty for electoral fraudsters, ensuring the security, distributing the electronic ID card for citizens, cancelling all distributed electoral cards, preparing a voter list, preparation of a procedure to investigate electoral complaints, allocating parliament seats for political parties, downsizing the polling centers, transferring the single non-transferable voting system (SNTV) to transferable voting system.

“Electoral commissions must be responsible for their actions,” Shah Sultan Akefi head of the Special Electoral Reforms Commission said.

Senate members emphasized to anticipate a heavy punishment for fraud in electoral laws.

“Impunity from punishment has been changed to a culture, and even a number of parliament members and myself support corrupt and outlaws,” Mohammad Alam Ezadyar first deputy of the senate house criticized.

The Special Electoral Reforms Commission will provide their recommendations to the national unity government in three steps, but electoral observer organizations emphasize that NUG leaders will deal politically to the electoral related issues.

Reported by: Ahmad Farshad Saleh