U.N. recommends international community to release funds for Afghan parliamentary elections
April 17th, 2010 - 9:05 pm ICT by BNO NewsKABUL (BNO NEWS) — The United Nations on Saturday recommended the international community to provide technical and logistical assistance to Afghanistan for the country’s parliamentary elections.
Staffan de Mistura, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, made the decision after a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in which he confirmed the appointment of new members to the Afghan Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC).
Mistura said he welcomed Karzai’s decision to appoint two international members to the five-member ECC, as was proposed by the United Nations. Appointed as Commissioners are Judge Johann Kriegler of South Africa, former Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa and former member of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, and Safwat Sidqi from Iraq, a former member of the Independent Electoral Commission for Iraq.
Any decision made by the ECC will be taken with the endorsement of at least one of the two international members. “This clarification of the ECC membership is consistent with the spirit of the wishes of Afghan leadership as expressed during the London Conference of January 2010 and with full respect for all Afghan institutions,” the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in a statement.
Mistura also welcomed that Karzai clarified an article regarding women’s seats in the Parliament, in order to ensure that the minimum number of women parliamentarians will be guaranteed in accordance with the Constitution. He did not provide details on what was explained.
“I want to congratulate President Karzai for his wise decision to agree to guidelines aimed at ensuring more credible and transparent elections,” Mistura said after the meeting. “I am satisfied that I can now recommend to the donor community that plans for the upcoming elections merit their release of funds so that technical and logistical support to the elections can begin.”
The Afghan parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on September 18.
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