KABUL - The National Unity Government was once again criticized for not taking the alternative step for breaking the electoral reforms deadlock, as it was expected to do Friday.
The next step to end the deadlock was to issue another decree on reforms to kick start the process.
Members of election monitoring organizations raised this issue on Friday, saying that further delays will affect the people's trust in government and in the electoral process.
"Further promises and less action will affect the public trust in government. Unfortunately, the National Unity Government has so far made lots of promises to bringing reforms to the electoral system, but none of them have been fulfilled," said Rahmatullah Salehi, a member of Free and Fair Election Foundation.
"We would have been able to do a big service for the country's future if we witnessed the issuance of the electronic National Identity Cards, but now we see that the process has been delayed due to political problems," said Mohammad Naeem Ayubzada, head of Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan.
The National Unity Government last week vowed to announce its next step for the electoral reforms at the end of this week, but the Presidential Palace said on Friday that they are still discussing the issue with judicial and other relevant organizations as well as elders.
"Our commitment to bringing reforms to the electoral system is still on its place; hence, we have continued our discussions with organizations from inside and outside government – including the Ministry of Justice and the Commission of Monitoring the Implementation of the Constitution. We will try to find a way which matches the Constitution and the public interest," President Ashraf Ghani's deputy spokesman Sayed Zafar Hashemi said.

Sources from the Presidential Palace said that government's decision on the alternative way to start electoral reforms will be announced in the coming week.(Tolonews)