KABUL - President Hamid Karzai administered oath to five new members of the Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (AIEC) at the Presidential Palace in Kabul on Thursday.
Mohammad Hussain Garziwani, Mohammad Hashim Faulad, Rida Azimi, Ghulam Dastagir Azad and Momina Yari were sworn in at a ceremony, a statement from Karzai's office said.

The commission's chief, Fazal Ahmad Manawi, and AIEC Secretary Abdullah Ahmadzai were also in attendance. Karzai congratulated the new members, who vowed to perform their jobs in accordance with the constitution with complete honesty and independence.

The AIEC has seven members, each having a three years term, said the commission's spokesman, Noor Mohammad Noor. He added Manawi and commissioner Abdul Khaliq Pashayee were yet to complete their terms.
Graduating from the University of Peshawar in Pakistan, Momina Yari had previously served at the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).

Garziwani, hailing from western Faryab province, has a master's in geology from an Azerbaijan university. Currently serving as a professor of geology at Kabul University, he has worked as advisor to the Wolesi Jirga's Commission on Natural Resources and Environment Protection.

Hashim Faulad has been a member of the High Peace Council, while Ghulam Dastagir Azad has served as governor of Nimroz province. Rida Azimi has been a senator.