Los talibán han atacado este lunes el Parlamento afgano con varios explosivos y un enfrentamiento armado mientras los parlamentarios se encontraban en una sesión. El asalto ha causado la muerte de siete talibán atacantes y de dos civiles. Además, 31 civiles han resultado heridos, aunque ninguno entre los legisladores.
President Ashraf Ghani's legal advisor Abdul Ali Mohammadi on Tuesday said that an announcement regarding the special electoral reform commission will be made next week after all stakeholder comments have been heard.
"Next week the special electoral reform commission will be announced," Mohammadi said.
However, the cultural advisor to the executive director, Sayed Fazil Aqa Sancharaki, said that there are certain circles within the presidential palace and the CEO's office that are preventing government reforms from taking place.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told delegates attending an International Contact Group meeting at the Presidential Palace early Thursday that the task of holding parliamentary elections was a serious challenge for the National Unity Government (NUG) and that government needed time in which to bring about electoral reforms.
The cornerstone to Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah's NUG agreement was the condition of fundamental reforms in the electoral system.
Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah has spoken out against President Ashraf Ghani's approach to electoral reform, calling the commission he formed last month a violation of the national unity government agreement.
The Chief Executive's office on Saturday said that the work of the electoral reform commission will not start until the commission is formed according to the political agreement made during the creation of the national unity government.
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s unity government has postponed parliamentary elections for at least one year as political wrangling continues in the country at a time when the Taliban have stepped up their attacks. Taliban claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in recent days ; the deadliest in Mazar-e-Sharif on the office of the attorney general which killed 10 and injured dozens of people.
The members of the special electoral reform commission appointed by President Ashraf Ghani complain that the commission has only advisory role, having no authority to bring reform to the election system.
The deputy head of the commission Sediqullah Tawhidi stated on Wednesday that if necessary authorities are not given to the commission, reforming the election system will be "impossible."
"This is an advisory commission. When the suggestions are unlike to president's wish, they are rejected," Tawhidi said. "We can say this is a weak and advisory commission."
President Ashraf Ghani in a decree on Saturday announced the 15-member special commission on electoral reform as part of National Unity Government (NUG) promises to bring reforms to the electoral system.
Female lawmaker Shukria Barekzai is the head of the commission and Sediqullah Tawhidi the deputy head, according to presidential statement.
The statement added that the purpose of the commission was to bring fundamental changes to the electoral system and build trust between the people and government.
Sayed Abbas Kazemi
The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) has announced the removal of three top provincial level officials of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) from their positions each for 10 years on charges of fraud.
The announcement came Wednesday when the ECC revealed that 25 permanent officials of the election commission were accused of fraud and violating the election law in last year's presidential election.
The National Unity Government (NUG) leaders have still not agreed on how to bring reforms to the electoral system and the establishment of the special electoral reform commission, a senior NUG official told TOLOnews.
In an exclusive interview with TOLOnews, second Vice President Sarwar Danish expressed that President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah have not met with each other so far on electoral reforms.
The office of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on Tuesday said consultation about the creation of electoral reforms commission has been finalised and the body will be announced through a presidential decree soon.
Reformation of system and rebuilding of election commissions were the main elements of agreements between President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah.
Members of the committee appointed by the national unity government to negotiate the details a potential electoral reforms commission discussed details of their progress on Sunday.
The electoral reform commission is expected to be in place for four to five months, and be composed of nine to 11 members. Ultimately, the commission would be responsible for preparing a plan for how to bring reform to the country's electoral system.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on Monday hinted at early beginning of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban leadership, but said national interests would be kept supreme.
Chairing a meeting of the council of ministers, Abdullah assured the Afghans that national interest would not be damaged in the peace process, the details of which would be released in the next few days.
KABUL (Pajhwok): Political experts have warned against a delay in holding the next parliamentary elections at the expense of proposed electoral reforms as part of the unity government deal.
President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah have agreed to bring reforms to the electoral system under a deal following the bitterly disputed presidential election last year.
The president last week tasked his second deputy Sarwar Danish with investigating issues concerning the proposed electoral reforms in consultation with civil society groups.
KABUL: Afghan lawmakers on Wednesday rejected most of President Ashraf Ghani’s nominees for the new cabinet, in a fresh setback for the newly formed “national unity government”.
The lower house of parliament voted on 18 of Ghani’s 25 selections for ministerial jobs and rejected 10 of them including the proposed defence minister.
Those who won approval included Salahuddin Rabbani, the former head of the Peace Council and nominee for foreign affairs minister, and Noorul Haq Ulumi, the nominee for interior minister.
The Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of the Parliament) approved the proposed amendments in four articles of the election law with majority votes on Tuesday as part of the promises to bring reforms in the country's electoral system.
Based on the new law, only those will be allowed to run for Parliamentary election that either hold a Bachelor's Degree or have been a MP in the past.
According to the amendment in another article of the election law, the selective members of the Senate should resign from their seats before they run for the House of Representatives elections.
KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday said the cabinet’s formation had reached its final stage and the delayed announcement was coming soon.
Addressing provincial council members from 10 provinces at the Presidential Palace, the president said they wanted the upcoming cabinet to reflect a real image of the national unity.
He said the cabinet would be announced soon and its members would be responsible to people in every corner of the country, a statement from the Presidential Palace quoted the president as saying.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has marked 100 days in office as he continues to struggle to name a cabinet, creating a political stalemate that threatens to hamper the fight against the Taliban.
A unity government was formed in September 2014 after Ghani agreed to a power-sharing deal with his political opponent Abdullah Abdullah, but the two men have since failed to agree on senior cabinet positions.
Abdullah was appointed "chief executive" - a new role similar to prime minister.
KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga on Wednesday asked its administrative board members to hold a meeting with President Ashraf Ghani on the delay in the announcement of the cabinet.
After being sworn in as president more than two months ago, Ghani had promised to unveil a new cabinet in 25 days. The delay has already drawn widespread criticism.
The results of the provincial council elections have still not been announced despite a four-month delay in the announcement.
Candidates, who have continuously criticized the dragging delay, are starting to lose hope about the likelihood of an announcement any time soon.
"We ask the election commissions to announce the final results as soon as possible so that people's concerns come to end," one of the candidates Rahimullah Mujahid said.
