Afghan lawmakers on Sunday hit back at the president’s calls for the foreigner commissioner positions to be removed from the country’s Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), saying he should respect the parliament’s decision.
“Karzai is once again trying to increase tensions between the government and the legislative bodies. The president should respect the parliament’s decision,” Farah MP Humaira Ayoubi said Sunday.
The presidential office reiterated the statement of President Hamid Karzai last Thursday that foreign advisers working for the Independent Election Commission was a violation of national sovereignty.
“The presence of foreign advisers at the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan is unacceptable,” presidential deputy spokesman Siamak Herawi said Sunday. “This will pave the way for foreign infiltration into the Afghan election.”
The draft of the election law, approved last month by the lawmakers, recommends the ECC commissioners to be increased from five to seven with two seats reserved for foreigners. It has been sent to the Senate for final approval.
The senators were encouraged Sunday to make the decision with Afghanistan’s national sovereignty in mind.
“You should consider national sovereignty and national interests in your decision,” first vice chair of the Afghan Senate House Mohamad Alam Ezedyar told the senators.
Some senators believe that the absence of foreign advisors at the ECC may allow electoral fraud.
“If the foreigners are not in that organisation, we will witness vast fraud in election,” Senator Hedayatullah Rehahi said.
Meanwhile, the Independent Electoral Commission announced its impartiality in the conflicts between the government and the legislators, saying that any decision taken by the authorised bodies would be implemented.
“This a problem between the parliament and the government. We are impartial,” IEC spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor said Sunday.
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