Kabul: The new head of Afghanistan`s main
electoral body was sworn in on Thursday, a high-profile reform that
the United Nations has endorsed as a move towards free and
fair elections later this year.
Fazel Ahmad Manavi becomes the new chairman of the
Independent Election Commission (IEC), which was tainted by
claims of bias in last year`s fraud-hit presidential vote.
In a ceremony presided over by President Hamid Karzai,
Manavi placed a hand on the Koran and swore an "oath of
loyalty, honesty, independence and impartiality and abiding by
the Constitution and all applicable laws in Afghanistan".
The presidential office said Abdul Khaliq Husaini was
also sworn in as an IEC commissioner.
The appointments follow the resignations earlier this
month of the IEC`s top two officials under pressure from the
international community.
Azizullah Ludin and Daoud Ali Najafi were chairman and
chief electoral officer of the IEC, which was accused of
meddling in the presidential vote and being stuffed with
Karzai cronies.
Karzai went on to win re-election in the vote.
Reform at the top of the IEC was seen as vital to secure
foreign funding for the parliamentary vote scheduled for
September and to avoid the controversy that marred the
presidential poll.
PTI
