KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani has eventually issued the much-awaited constitutional decree which will see the country's electoral system reformed, his office announced Saturday.
It said in a statement that the president issued the decree after consultations with the members of both houses of Parliament – Wolesi Jorga and Meshrano Jirga.
The decree came on last day of Parliament's winter recess.
"The president consulted members of both houses before issuing the decree," Ghani's deputy spokesman Sayed Zafar Hashemi said. "He [Ghani] expects the parliamentarians will cooperate with government in bringing the electoral reforms."
The decree is expected to be dispatched to Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) in 30 days, according to MP Sharifi Balkhabi.
However earlier in the day, the Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish said the election commissions' selection committee would begin its work, soon after the decree is issued.
Security agencies, particularly the Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoI) would work on a plan to have the security of elections ensured, he said.
In addition, he said that the parliamentary and district councils' elections would be held next year between summer and fall.
The decree came following strong efforts by civil society and election supporting bodies to push Ghani to bring changes in the election system.
"Electoral reforms must take place otherwise people will not take part in any future elections," a resident of Badakhshan named Naweed told TOLOnews.
The UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, in his recent meeting with Danish stated that once the electoral reforms take place, the body will discuss funding for next elections with the world donors. (Tolonews)