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Prospective contenders warn of boycotting WJ election

Prospective contenders warn of boycotting WJ election

author avatar
19 Mar 2015 - 14:48
Prospective contenders warn of boycotting WJ election
author avatar
19 Mar 2015 - 14:48

KABUL (Pajhwok): Prospective parliamentary election candidates on Thursday warned of boycotting the vote if the long-expected electoral reform commission is not constituted soon.

Addressing a joint news conference in Kabul, five would-be contenders called for the Ashraf Ghani administration to keep its promise of forming the commission to clean up the electoral system.

Based on the power-sharing agreement between President Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah, the panel will be formed to fix the poll system, but so far there is no sign of the body being constituted. 

One of the likely contestant, Faridullah Amiri, urged the president to issue a decree without delay for forming the propose commission. “We want him (Ghani) not to keep people waiting…”

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Kamal Sadat also reminded the national unity government of its vow. “Now the Wolesi Jirga polls are 2-3 months away. If the commission isn’t set up to fix the system, we will boycott the election.”

Article 83 of the constitution says Wolesi Jirga members shall be elected by the people through free, general, secret and direct balloting. The five-year assembly term will end after the announcements of election results on the 1st of June…

Sadat claimed a majority of Wolesi Jirga candidates might stay away from the parliamentary election if the poll panels were not reformed.

They passed a resolution at the end of their meeting, saying: “The electoral reform commission should be comprised of the UN, political parties’ and civil society members.”

Reforming the electoral institutions was the need of the hour and the unity government should discharge the duty honestly, the resolution added.

nh/mud

 

 

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