Electoral watchdog worried of ‘differences’ among election commission officials

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AT-KABUL: The Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan, an electoral watchdog says it was worried of what it called “current differences” senior officials in the Independent Election Commission.

Yousuf Rarshid, head of the watchdog said Tuesday that the continued differences among the officials of the commission meant that the commission was not poised to hold election and helped corruption.

The legislative and district councils elections are to be held on October 20th.

“These differences make us worried. Transferring of the provincial electoral officials is necessary and according to the law. If the secretary of the commission wants this to be implemented, other officials should not oppose with him. The continued differences among the senior officials of the election commission means that the commission is not ready to hold the election and this pave the ground for corruption,” said Rashid.

Opposition political parties and electoral monitors criticize the government and election commission over the electoral reforms, saying the commission was keeping realities secret.

The election commission had earlier said that it would transfer provincial officials for further transparency.

It rejects any differences among its officials.

“The issue reported in the media was just a misunderstanding. The head of secretariat was newly appointed and thought that the order was from the commission, so he sent it to the provinces. When the commission learned about that, it immediately stopped that. The new list will be sent to the provinces in the near future. This is not a difference or a serious problem in the commission,” commission’s spokesman, Sayed Hafizullah Hashemi said.