Thursday, August 02, 2012
Kabul (BNA) President Hamid Karzai heard a report presented on Tuesday night by the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) focused on arrangements for the future Presidential elections in Afghanistan.
The meeting held in the Presidential Palace was attended by Ministers of Foreign Affairs, National Defense, National Security Advisor, MoI Deputy Minister, Deputy Director of NDS, Head of Secretariat for High Peace Council, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Director of IDLG and members of IEC.
Briefing the President on the electoral arrangements, Fazel Ahmad Manavi, Head of IEC said, “Independent Elections Commission has to devise specific plans from now for fair and transparent future Presidential elections and district shura polls in which voter registration and voter list are deemed one of the 1st important tasks.
Manavi added that the registration process would pave grounds for upcoming elections, contributing to transparency of the electoral process and ensure conveniences required to facilitate implementation of IEC plans.
He said, IEC has taken standards into account for the registration process through which a voter would manage to vote in favor of his favorite candidate in the polling station of his area, preventing irregularities and violations.
Head of IEC noted, the voter registration would provide employment opportunities for almost 45 thousand Afghans, adding that “voting cards to be distributed” could be used for another four elections in the future.
Manavi also said, the financial budget estimated by the United Nations Office for both the voter registration and voter list would be nearly $ 80 million to be financed by the international community.
He urged security institutions and government agencies to prepare their security plans from now in support of conducting fair, standard and transparent elections across the country.
President Karzai welcomed and supported IEC’s plans for both voter registration and voter list in accordance with the Constitution.
The President said that successful Presidential elections in Afghanistan would be another step towards strengthening democracy and a legitimate system, assuring that the Government of Afghanistan would collaborate with IEC as much as it could and within its means to successfully hold the future elections.
President Karzai stressed on Afghanization of the elections, adding that IEC must not allow foreigners to interfere in the electoral process.
The President described cooperation of the United Nations Office and its observers a need required for fair and transparent elections but labeled the intervention and manipulation in the electoral process by a number of countries and irresponsible institutions totally unacceptable, reasoning that it undermines fairness and transparency of the polls as well as deprives people of their suffrage and free choice.
President Karzai added, IEC must prevent any foreign intervention and contribute to establishing and sustaining a strong legitimate system in Afghanistan.
