Afghan president approves major changes to election law

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

Afghanistan's president on Tuesday dismissed the election commission leadership with amended election law.

Ashraf Ghani said the electoral commission failed to earn the people’s trust by not ensuring fair parliamentary elections in October last year.

Aiming reforms just months before the landmark presidential polls due in July, the amendments followed four-day consultations among representatives of the parliament, some candidates for presidency, political party representatives, and civil institutions as well as electoral watchdogs, and the Justice Ministry.

According to the Afghan presidency, the cabinet approved the amendments before Ghani signed the draft on Tuesday.

Ghani also sacked the head of Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Election Complaint Commission in Afghanistan.

The IEC opposed the changes since the registration for presidential polls was just completed on Jan. 20.

The commission even described the changes as a move to manipulate the election process.

The fate of the presidential polls was already made uncertain by the fast-track talks for peace between the U.S and the Taliban who continue to neglect the current Afghan government as a legitimate one.

Among the candidates are the serving president and his power-sharing chief executive officer Abdullah Abdullah.