With the electoral reforms commission working on recommendations for reforms to Afghanistan’s electoral system, many stakeholders of the Afghan politics expect the reforms commission and the National Unity Government to bring genuine reforms to the electoral system including the two main election bodies responsible for holding and overseeing the elections. However, uneasy with the reforms process and worried about implications of the process for the two electoral bodies, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) has been expressing concerns over the reforms specifically concerned with the mandate and authority of the two election bodies. The chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Ahmad Yosuf Nuristani, has urged the government to prepare the ground for the parliamentary and provincial councils’ elections, stressing that the government should keep the process out of political games. At a press conference, IEC chairman stressed that the setting a date for the upcoming parliamentary elections is the authority of the commission and no other agency has the right to illegally intervene in the matter.

The statements made by the IEC head is a tacit reference to the electoral reforms commission which is working extensively on proposed recommendations for reforming the electoral system. The IEC chairman also said that the government should support the IEC’s decision on the election date and prevent “irresponsible statements from individuals and groups”. This is while the reforms commission has not rule out the possibility of providing recommendations to the structures of the IEC and Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) and the current commissioners of the two electoral bodies. In the meantime, some election monitoring organizations have urged the reforms commission to first address the status of the current commissioners and members of the IEC and ECC. The election monitoring groups and many political groups believe that any genuine reform of the country’s electoral system without reforms to the structure and members of the two bodies would imperfect.

The IEC and ECC played controversial roles in holding and monitoring the last year presidential elections. The two election bodies were the main authorities for holding safe and sound elections that could produce a legitimate president. However, Afghanistan had one of the worst elections of the world that triggered a potential political crisis in the country. The national process which was supposed to facilitate the first ever transfer of power in Afghanistan was marred by widespread rigging. The IEC and ECC were blamed for electoral mismanagements and holding a fraudulent election. The two commissions are widely criticized for taking side in the elections and helping widespread rigging of the presidential elections. Earlier, some MPs in the Wolesi Jirga and Meshrano Jirga of the National Assembly demanded trial of the members of the two commissions on charges of rigging the elections.

Given the flawed leadership of the presidential elections by the IEC and ECC, the reforms commission should not be indifferent to the two crucial agencies that are responsible for holding and overseeing safe and sound elections. Afghanistan cannot afford another mismanagement of the national process and misuse of authority by members of the two election bodies. Any changes to the country’s electoral system need to include reforms to the structures and composition of the commissions. The IEC and ECC should be in some way accountable regarding management of the election process and soundness and legitimacy of the election outcomes. The reforms commission needs to propose comprehensive recommendations for reforming the electoral system and the responsible bodies. The recommendations should include substantial measures for dismissal and trial of commissioners who are believed to have helped rigging the last year presidential elections. The reformed structures and composition of the two commissions should ensure enhanced oversight and monitoring of electoral management. In order to achieve this, the commissioners of the two commissions should be directly accountable to the parliament.

The leaders of the National Unity Government need to commit to bringing real and substantial reforms to the electoral system including the IEC and ECC. Any flawed outcome from the electoral reforms process would be a receipt for further disasters for the country in the future. It will set the ground for interminable political crises stemming from national elections. Therefore, the government needs to bring about a far-reaching consensus among the stakeholders of the Afghan politics over the reforms process and the final outcome of the process. Only through a consensus the government would be able to bring the crucial reforms acceptable and justified for all major political trends. The National Unity Government needs to heed the recommendations of the electoral reforms commission and implement the recommendations in full to bring real reforms to the electoral system.  Politicization of the process will not lead to creating transparent and accountable election commissions. So far the process has been suffering from power struggles between the leaders of the National Unity Government, leaving the process in a stalemate for months. Despite some flaws to the composition and role of the reforms commission, the formation of the reforms commission was a major step forward. While its legitimate is shaky, the government should beware of another major setback in creating sound electoral procedures and leading transparent and fair elections.  The date for the upcoming parliamentary elections should be set as soon as possible by the government and based on the recommendations of the reforms commission. The remarks made by IEC head Yosuf Nuristani also echo the legitimate calls from various political parties and other institutions to the government to set a timeline for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The parliamentary election is already passed its due date which is a gross violation of the constitution. The election bodies need to have sufficient time for making preparations for the parliamentary elections. It will take months for the election bodies to prepare for the elections. Given the security challenges and the problems with registration of voters, the challenges ahead of the preparations for the parliamentary elections would be enormous. The government and the election bodies need to waste no time in setting a date and starting preparations for the parliamentary elections.