Opposition alliance calls for interim govt

KABUL members.

Ahmad Zia Massoud, the Afghanistan National Front (ANF) leader, told reporters in Kabul a government — seeking to perpetuate itself in power by employing all possible means — could not promote democracy in the country.

Also a former vice-president, Massoud said his concern was that the Karzai administration was yet to put in place a credible mechanism to ensure transparency in the election.

The absence of such a plan could damage the national interest, he warned, explaining that only a neutral provisional set-up could ensure a free and fair ballot.

But Eng. Mohammad Asim, a representative of the National Coalition of Afghanistan (NCA), opposed the idea. He asked the government to stop meddling in affairs of the two other pillars of state and make sure the polls were held in a fair manner.

A civil society leader, Ajmal Balochzada, also spurned the call for an interim government. He said there were other ways of coming out of dealing with political challenges, including transparent elections.

Former interior minister and Right and Justice Party leader, Hanif Atmar, said they would exercise other legal options if the authorities ignored their demand for a fraud-free election.

Earlier, representative of 21 political parties and 30 civil society group met on reforming a draft electoral law that was approved by the Cabinet on December 12, 2012. The measure is currently being debated by the lower house.

In a joint statement, the participants demanded a mixed political system, postponement of the election and creation of an electoral complaints commission. If met, the demands would have a significant impact on the electoral process, they said.

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