KABUL - The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has termed the new presidential election date as ‘suitable’ while the Independent Electoral Complaint Commission (IECC) and some political parties describe it against the Constitution.
Citing well-placed sources, Pajhwok on Sunday reported the presidential and other three elections had been postponed for three months.
The election bodies, however, have often stressed the conduct of presidential elections on the earlier schedule which is April 20, 2019.
IEC head Abdul Bade Sayyad termed the delayed date of July 13 for the presidential and other three elections as ‘fair and suitable’ but added the decision was not yet final.
He said the new date was made part of the detailed schedule for the upcoming presidential, Wolesi Jirga polls in Ghazni province and district council elections.
Based on this schedule, the registration process for the presidential election candidates will begin on January 1, 2019 and will continue until January 28 and the election campaign for presidential candidates will begin on May 12 until July 11.
The presidential election and three other elections are scheduled for July 13, 2019, according to the new schedule. Primary results of the presidential election would be announced on August 11 and final results on September 15.
Yousuf Rashid, executive head of Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) criticized the IEC and said the delay of presidential election was a violation of the Constitution.
Ali Raza Rohani, IECC spokesman, also said the delay was in contradiction with the Constitution. “The new election date is in contradiction with the Constitution,” he said.
Article 61 of the Constitution says: “Elections for the new President shall be held within thirty to sixty days prior to the end of the presidential term.”
In line with the Constitution, the delay in the presidential election is against the law and a clear violation of the Article 61 of the Constitution.
Sayyad, referring to Rohani’s point of view, said, the law was not a ‘verse of the Quran’ which could not be violated, adding that the IEC was striving to take decisions according to the law.
Syed Jawadi, a member of the Eqtedar-i-Melli party, said no authority or individual has the right to say the law is not “a verse of Quran’ which could not be violated.
He stressed in line with the law the presidential election should be held before the end of the tenure of the sitting president. (Pajhwok)