KABUL - The National Unity Government (NUG) is determined to bring systematic reforms to electoral bodies and the electoral process, Chief Executive Spokesman Mujiburrahman Rahimi said Sunday.
Rahimi said parliamentary and district council elections will not have any legitimacy if held under the supervision of the current election commissioners.
"The NUG is committed to bringing reforms in the electoral system, electoral bodies and to the whole process. The next elections [parliamentary and district council elections] will be held under the new leadership of election commissions," he added.
"Any decision taken regarding the elections is illegitimate. The only decision and the only logical way for the future election is the way which is followed by the NUG - bringing reforms in electoral bodies and introducing new election commissioners," he said.
The remarks come after the chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Yusuf Nuristani, said Saturday that they will announce the timeline for the parliamentary election this week.
Nuristani said the parliamentary election will be held under the supervision of the current electoral bodies.
Meanwhile, the Election Commissions Selection Committee said that Nuristani's remarks are alarming and could lead the parliamentary polls to a crisis.
"It is difficult to move toward elections in such a situation. This will once again bring crisis [in the country]. This is against the interests of the country," said Mohammad Naeem Ayubzada, a member of the Selection Committee.
Some MPs meanwhile said that President Ashraf Ghani should issue a legislative decree in order to bring reforms in electoral bodies and the electoral process.
"In order to avoid the legal gap, we should consider some amendments in electoral laws and reforms in the electoral bodies in a bid to convince the people and the international community," said MP Mohammad Abduh.
"The best way [to bring reforms in elections] is that the president should issue a legislative decree when MPs are on their winter vacation," he added.
Bringing reforms in the electoral bodies was a key element of the political agreement signed between Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in order to revive public trust in the election process. (Tolonews)