KABUL - The Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) on Sunday said complaint registration faced problems because the list of commissioners for provinces shared with the president had not been approved so far.
Abdul Aziz Aryayi, IECC head, told a press conference here that the commission shared a list of 102 individuals with the Presidential Palace one month and a half months ago, but the president was yet to approve it.
He said the 102 individuals had found their way to provincial commissioner posts after qualifying an open competition.
He said not approving the list had confronted the IECC activities with problems. “It is a matter of concern for us, it has created a serious challenge in legal handling of complaints.”
Aryayi criticized the Presidential Palace and said: “If the Presidential Palace believes in a democratic system, then it should not weaken the electoral institutes and instead try to strengthen them.”
He said the IECC was active in all provinces, collecting complaints regarding election affairs particularly about the announcement of initial list of candidates.
To a question about independence of the IECC commissioners, he said: “If the list we shared with the Presidential Palace is not logical to the palace, then it means we are independent and the palace has no an influence on us.”
HumairaHaqmal, deputy head of the IECC, also criticized the president for not approving the commissioners’ list and said delayed list approval meant more problems for the commission.
She said despite struggling with major problems due to the Presidential Palace’s inattention the commission continued to collect electoral complaints in all provinces of the country. (Pajhwok)