The new members of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) took the oath of office on Monday after being appointed by President Ashraf Ghani.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony held in the Presidential Palace, Ghani said that the new commissioners are representing all political parties and presidential candidates and that they don’t have the right to have links with any political party.  

“All relations of the new commissioners with their parties or other organizations should end after this,” Ghani said.

He stressed that the government is committed to preventing interference in the election process.

The president also instructed the security and defense forces to ensure security of the upcoming elections in the country.

At the event, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said that the appointment of new election commissioners was a further step towards having fair and transparent elections.

He said focusing on July presidential elections does not mean to ignore the ongoing peace process, adding that both issues are equally important for the people.

It comes a day after President Ghani in separate decrees appointed new election commissioners among 81 candidates who have received votes of presidential candidates.

The new IEC members are Sayed Esmatullah Mal, Mawlana Mohammad Abdullah, Awrang Zeb, Mohammad Hanif Danishyar, Musafir Qoqandi, Hawa Alam Nuristani, and Rahima Zarifi. Habib-Ur-Rahman Nang has been appointed as new head of the secretariat of the IEC.

The new IECC members are: Mohammad Qasim Elyasi, Zuhra Bayan Shinwari, Din Mohammad Azimi, Mohammad Yunus Tughra, and Sayed Qutbuddin Roidar. Chaman Shah Etemadi has been appointed as the new head of the secretariat of the IECC.