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The voting process to select new members of Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) as well as heads of secretariats of the two electoral bodies which was schedueled to take place on Wednesday has been delayed for Friday in order to ensure that all presidential candidates will participate in the process, Presidential Palace said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day, President Ghani's spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri said the process will take place on Wednesday. 

Two members from the Ministry of Justice, two representatives from the civil society institutions, a representative from candidates coalition council will have the responsibility of voting under the monitoring of one of deputies of minister of justice, he explained.  

The voting to pick 14 members of the election commissions is applicable if all candidates attend the session, said Chakhansuri.

A list obtained by TOLOnews shows that 81 candidates will compete for membership of the election commissions.

But the coalition of presidential candidates said the candidates will not participate in the voting.

“This is a hasty decision by the president and against the decision of presidential candidates,” said Bashir Bezhan, member of the coalition of presidential candidates.

The appointment comes in the wake of strong criticisms on the appointment procedures of new commissioners.

The joint committee of presidential candidates in a statement called on the Presidential Palace to postpone the voting process for new election commissioners and hold the voting on Friday.

Due to the request of the presidential candidates committee and also because of the absence of a number of candidates, the voting process for new election commissioners has been postponed to Friday, the Presidential Palace says in a statement.

Representatives of a number of political parties and two presidential candidates on Monday said a procedure to define the modality of the appointment process of election commissioners has not been finalized by government.

Based on the new amendments in the Election Law, the presidential elections candidates will pick the new members of the Independent Election Commission and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission.

This comes after all commissioners from the two electoral commissions – the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) – were dismissed from their posts, including the two chiefs, after President Ashraf Ghani signed off on an amendment to the electoral law.

Ghani approved the amendment on February 20, which resulted in the instant dismissal of the commissioners – including IEC chief Abdul Badi Sayyad and IECC Aziz Azizullah Aryayee.

The election law has 109 articles and 17 chapters and according to sources, a number of these articles have been amended.

The commissioners – 12 in total - were appointed to the posts in November 2016 as part of government’s efforts to ensure transparent and fair parliamentary elections.

However, the elections – held in October – were allegedly riddled with fraud and mismanagement.

This move comes amid ongoing criticism leveled at the commissioners who have still not released the final results for October’s elections for 15 provinces.

The commissioners – 12 in total - were appointed to the posts in November 2016 as part of government’s efforts to ensure transparent and fair parliamentary elections.

However, the elections – held in October – were allegedly riddled with fraud and mismanagement.

President Ghani’s spokesman says all presidential candidates will attend the voting process for new election commissioners.

Thumbnail

The voting process to select new members of Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) as well as heads of secretariats of the two electoral bodies which was schedueled to take place on Wednesday has been delayed for Friday in order to ensure that all presidential candidates will participate in the process, Presidential Palace said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day, President Ghani's spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri said the process will take place on Wednesday. 

Two members from the Ministry of Justice, two representatives from the civil society institutions, a representative from candidates coalition council will have the responsibility of voting under the monitoring of one of deputies of minister of justice, he explained.  

The voting to pick 14 members of the election commissions is applicable if all candidates attend the session, said Chakhansuri.

A list obtained by TOLOnews shows that 81 candidates will compete for membership of the election commissions.

But the coalition of presidential candidates said the candidates will not participate in the voting.

“This is a hasty decision by the president and against the decision of presidential candidates,” said Bashir Bezhan, member of the coalition of presidential candidates.

The appointment comes in the wake of strong criticisms on the appointment procedures of new commissioners.

The joint committee of presidential candidates in a statement called on the Presidential Palace to postpone the voting process for new election commissioners and hold the voting on Friday.

Due to the request of the presidential candidates committee and also because of the absence of a number of candidates, the voting process for new election commissioners has been postponed to Friday, the Presidential Palace says in a statement.

Representatives of a number of political parties and two presidential candidates on Monday said a procedure to define the modality of the appointment process of election commissioners has not been finalized by government.

Based on the new amendments in the Election Law, the presidential elections candidates will pick the new members of the Independent Election Commission and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission.

This comes after all commissioners from the two electoral commissions – the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) – were dismissed from their posts, including the two chiefs, after President Ashraf Ghani signed off on an amendment to the electoral law.

Ghani approved the amendment on February 20, which resulted in the instant dismissal of the commissioners – including IEC chief Abdul Badi Sayyad and IECC Aziz Azizullah Aryayee.

The election law has 109 articles and 17 chapters and according to sources, a number of these articles have been amended.

The commissioners – 12 in total - were appointed to the posts in November 2016 as part of government’s efforts to ensure transparent and fair parliamentary elections.

However, the elections – held in October – were allegedly riddled with fraud and mismanagement.

This move comes amid ongoing criticism leveled at the commissioners who have still not released the final results for October’s elections for 15 provinces.

The commissioners – 12 in total - were appointed to the posts in November 2016 as part of government’s efforts to ensure transparent and fair parliamentary elections.

However, the elections – held in October – were allegedly riddled with fraud and mismanagement.

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