IEC to Reject Any Illegal Decision by Reforms Commission

Independent Election Commission (IEC) will not accept any illegal decision of the Special Electoral Reforms Commission, Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani Chairman of the IEC of Afghanistan said in a press conference on Wednesday.

The remarks come as the Special Electoral Reform Commission has decided to provide their plan for short-term electoral reforms to the President.

“Electoral Reform Commission established to bring reforms must not violate the law, and if they violate the law, we will not accept it and it will not be accepted by the entire nation,” Ahmad Yousuf Nooristani Chairman of the IEC said.

Chairman of the IEC emphasized that Afghan government must not sacrifice parliamentary elections by postponing the election because of their political games.

“Keep election away of your political games, and do not delay parliamentary elections anymore, as you are aware the announcement of the election timeline is the job of IEC; therefore, whenever the Commission announced the date support the decision, so the Commission can organize elections at the earliest,” Nooristani added.

Adding, no one has been authorized to dismiss any member of the IEC.

“The law has appointed the commissioners for six years, they are not assigned by themselves or anyone else and no one can dismiss them, they can only do this by violating the law which is very dangerous for the future of the country,” Nooristani emphasized.

He says political tensions reveal that parliamentary elections may postpone to more than one year.

“Due to political problems, elections could not be held at its certain time, we don’t see any hope for this political problem to be solved even after months, we fear the election may postpone to more than one year,” Nooristani said.

The Special Electoral Reform Commission tasked to bring fundamental reforms on electoral system after the IEC failed to manage 2014 disputed presidential elections which resulted to the opening of the power-sharing unity government.

Reported by: Hameed Sediqi