Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah says threatening and imposing pressures on election commission members are “illegal” and unacceptable”.

Speaking at Council of Ministers meeting on Monday, Abdullah said that the move to stamp copies of IDs of people who have registered to vote was a proposed plan suggested for ensuring safety of the citizens against possible security threats, adding that there is no talking point when the execution of the plan is legally impossible in views of four IEC commissioners.

“The election commission is an independent commission, and it has the responsibility to hold the election. We are responsible for paving the ground for maintaining the security of the election,” he said. “It is unacceptable to threaten election commissioners of resignation.”

Abdullah stressed that stamping copies of ID cards of voters shouldn’t be used as an instrument to put pressures on the election commission, as he believes the issue is the ending point of a democratic process.

“The election commissioners complaining that they are under threat & pressure and the issues being imposed on them,” he said.  

This comes a day after Shahla Haq, acting secretariat of IEC, resigned from her post over the issue of stamping copies of ID cards. 

The presidential spokesman, Haroon Chakhansoori, however, at a press conference said that the president is respecting the independence of the election commission and that will not allow any kind of interference in this regard.

According to Chakhansoori, the plan of stamping copies of voters’ ID cards was initially proposed by the Chief Executive Abdullah and that it was passed through a technical committee.

In response to Abdullah’s remarks, he said: “Those who have these concerns, must administratively and ethnically have the courage to share it with people.”

The president’s spokesman, meanwhile, urged the politicians and high-ranking government officials to preserve national interest while delivering their remarks to the public.

Security Situation

Chief Executive Abdullah admitted that the government leaders and security institutions have failed to address the needs of victims, injured people, and public forces.

He said that the government has not used the Afghan security forces accurately who have a strong public support.

Referring to the recent security situation in Baghlan, Kunduz, Faryab, Badakhshan, Zabul, Farah and some other provinces, Abdullah said that they witness casualties to Afghan people and killing of the security forces every day; “who is responsible? let’s give answer to the people.”

Praising the resistance of people against Taliban attacks in some provinces, he said that hundreds of people suffer casualties for defending the government, “but still we couldn’t able to address grief of the injured and displaced people.”

Abdullah said he has reached a point where he should take a clear stand over the ongoing situation.