Foreign donors to Afghanistan on Monday called for quick and transparent appointment of new election officials in the country.
Afghanistan recently amended the Electoral Law and dismissed top officials of the Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission, after a parliamentary vote in October that was marred by accusations of fraud and criticism of chaotic organization. Afghanistan is scheduled to hold presidential poll in July.
“We fully expect the selection process and the ultimate appointments to the Commissions to be transparent and unequivocally aimed at strengthening the independence and integrity of the electoral institutions and reinstating the Afghan people’s trust and confidence in the electoral process,” the Electoral Support Group said in a statement.
“We strongly urge political parties, civil society organizations, presidential candidates and the Government to discharge this important responsibility in good faith by nominating and selecting qualified, non-partisan and professional individuals with integrity, electoral and management experience, and moral standing, and who meet the legal requirements,” the statement said.
The group called on the government and all stakeholders involved to remain committed to transparency in all stages of the selection process, including by publishing the selection criteria, procedures, the full list of nominees, and by regularly updating the public.
It also said that the appointments should be made quickly, so as not to delay the necessary preparations for the presidential election. The group called on the government and all relevant stakeholders to give the secretariats of the IEC and ECC the necessary support to continue urgent predatory work.
The Election Support Group (ESG) comprises the key donors– the European Union, the Governments of Australia, Sweden (on behalf of the Nordic plus), Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, the United States of America – as well as NATO and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). It is chaired by UNAMA and convenes on a weekly basis.
