The National Assembly has overwhelmingly approved the revised draft Election Law on Wednesday making changes to the original articles suggested by the President including conditions on candidacy for the Presidential elections as well as about electoral constituency, the two top contentious articles during the debate in the lower house of parliament.

After weeks of debate, 101 of the 136 MPs approved the draft law, increasing ten articles and making amendments to others. It has to go to the Senate and then to President Karzai for approval or further changes.

The amendments include removal of conditions for candidacy of Presidential elections such as the requirements to have fluency in both Pashto and Dari languages. There were some ridiculous articles on conditions for presidential candidacy such as dual linguistic requirement, physical ‘fitness’ including any crippled organ of body or accident in the past. Such conditions were not only purely political maneuvering aimed to benefit the current ruling administration, but also ran outright against the basic provisions of the constitution. The outrageously ridiculous requirements included the physical fitness which meant anyone with disability would be disqualified, or anyone who can't speak and write in Pashto and Dari, anyone who doesn't have ten years of work experience in the Karzai administration, anyone who doesn't have a university degree, anyone who can't pay one million Afghanis, and anyone who can't come up with 100,000 signatures cumulatively from at least twenty different provinces. 

With such requirements, many of the leading politicians with intentions to run or make electoral alliances would be disqualified to contest, making it possible only for a few from the Karzai Administration to be ‘eligible’ for election or rather selection.

Now the President ought to respect mandate of the nation through their elected representatives in parliament who have overwhelmingly rejected such articles of the law and approve the draft into implementation as soon as possible.

Other amendments include restriction of voting constituency for Kuchis or so-called nomads within 8 regions of the country where they live significantly. Previously, they could vote anywhere in any part of the country as their constituency in whole. This has been used as a card by rulers not only through highly exaggerating their population strength, but also maneuvering votes in any constituency they liked.  However, the house has rejected proposal of 50/50 or 1/3 quota for political parties inside the parliament. It would be institutionally stronger and efficient if such a quota and promotion of partisan electoral structure is approved.