ISLAMABAD: Elections to the transitional Shoora (assembly) of Afghanistan will be held by April next, prior to the termination of the tenure of the present Afghan interim government, reports PTI.
The head of the election commission of the Afghan interim government, Pir Syed Ahmad Gilani, said Wednesday, the Shoora, consisting of 500 members would be elected by Afghan rebels and refugees.
Elections would be held in the Afghan “liberated areas.” The refugee camps and also elicit participation by refugees in other countries. He said the process would start by the end of this year, Gilani said.
He however did not specify how the 1.5 million refugees living in Iran, would participate in the elections.
He said all rebel groups had agreed to the elections which would be “free and any Afghan Muslim citizen over 25 years of age could nominate himself and contest.”
He said the elections would be held in accordance with the resolution of the consultative assembly on February 22, 1989 and the agreement of the supreme council of the rebels.
The Afghan rebel leader said women would not be barred from taking part in the elections, “but the prevailing war conditions have made their participation in the election rather difficult.”
Asked whether United Nations or any other international agency would be asked to supervise the elections, he said there would be no need for such arrangements.
He said he hoped the governments of Pakistan and Iran would assist the commission to ensure free and fair elections.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 1, 1989
