Afghan president approves major changes to election law

By Shadi Khan Saif</p> <p>KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – Afghanistan's president on Tuesday dismissed the election commission leadership with amended election law.</p> <p>Ashraf Ghani said the electoral commission failed to earn the people’s trust by not ensuring fair parliamentary elections in October last year.</p> <p>Aiming reforms just months before the landmark presidential polls due in July, the amendments followed four-day consultations among representatives of the parliament, some candidates for presidency, political party representatives, and civil institutions as well as electoral watchdogs, and the Justice Ministry.</p> <p>According to the Afghan presidency, the cabinet approved the amendments before Ghani signed the draft on Tuesday.</p> <p>Ghani also sacked the head of Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Election Complaint Commission in Afghanistan.</p> <p>The IEC opposed the changes since the registration for presidential polls was just completed on Jan. 20.</p> <p>The commission even described the changes as a move to manipulate the election process.</p> <p>The fate of the presidential polls was already made uncertain by the fast-track talks for peace between the U.S and the Taliban who continue to neglect the current Afghan government as a legitimate one.</p> <p>Among the candidates are the serving president and his power-sharing chief executive officer Abdullah Abdullah.