KABUL - A provisional government should be set up prior to the presidential election of 2014 to protect the fair outcome of the poll, the head of the National Coalition Party Ahmed Zia Massoud said Saturday at a gathering of political parties and civil society groups.
"If we really want to have transparent elections in Afghanistan and for democracy to become institutionalized, there should be provisional government found before holding the elections," Massoud said.
However, not all the groups present agreed with him, with some arguing that an independent commission overseeing the election should suffice.
The Cooperation Council of Political Parties and Coalitions (CCPP) along with civil society organisations met Saturday to discuss the 2014 election in light of the draft election law recently approved by Council of Ministers. Most groups felt the changes made by the ministers – namely the removal of the Election Complaints Commission – went against civil values.
"There should be an active and permanent commission founded according to the law the parliament has already approved for addressing elections objection," a member of the Right and Justice Party Hanif Atmar said.
A number of activists of civil society and political parties have said that any regulation aiming for transparency of the election should be made according to the constitution of the country.
"The civil society does not ask for a provisional government because such a transformation could cause our country to face [a greater] crisis," Ajmal Baloochzada, a civil society activist, told TOLOnews.
Assadullah Saadati, a CCPP member said, "All our requests and reactions will be in the framework of the country's constitution."
The CCPP, made up of around 21 political groups, met with some 30 civil society institutions to find ways to ensure a transparent election.
This comes as President Hamid Karzai reiterated in his visit to the US this past week that he will step down in 2014, as per the country's constitution.
Speaking at Georgetown University in Washington on Friday, Karzai said he would work towards a fair and transparent election in the country to find his replacement. (Tolo News)