Pro-reform MPs and members of election monitoring groups on Wednesday claimed that certain elements within the government and the Independent Election Commission (IEC) plotted to disrupt the approval of President Ashraf Ghani's legislative decree on election reforms.
The statements come two days after parliament failed to vote on a crucial presidential legislative decree on election reforms in the wake of continued calls both by the Afghan people and the international community.
Hours after the voting, Ghani's office in a statement said that the rejection of the decree by parliament was a setback for electoral reforms.
"With complete respect to the authority of the Wolesi Jirga, the government and the people expected the MPs to propose amendments for the legislative decree and then approve it so that the reforms process would be completed and elections could be held," Ghani's office said in a statement.
Election monitoring groups and MPs have said that there is a lack of interest within the government to finalize the reform process and that the IEC commissioners enticed the lawmakers to reject the decree.
Meanwhile, head of parliament's legal and judicial commission has said that the justifications presented by the lawmakers for rejecting the decree were not reasonable, adding that members of the election commission deceived the lawmakers and they (MPs) rejected the decree on the signals of the IEC members.
"The commissioners launched massive campaigns and they get positive results. They deceived the lawmakers in the Wolesi Jirga by saying that if the elections are not held, you remain in your posts," commission head Mohammad Abdoh said.
In addition, a number of pro-decree lawmakers have alleged that certain circles within the government plotted efforts to sabotage the decree and said that those enjoying close relations with the presidential palace rejected the legislative decree.
"Elements who were interested in rejecting the decree were mobilized alongside the election commissioners as they foresee their interests in crisis and brawls and the presence of illegitimate institutions. They were also made false promises by the election commissioners and the lawmakers," pro-decree MP Fawzia Kofi said.
Implementation of systematic reforms in Afghanistan's electoral system was among the top commitment of leaders of the national unity government.
Although the office of the Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah has constantly called for the implementing of reforms in the election bodies, critics are outraged over the silence of the chief executive over the rejection of the legislative decree.
"Groups and elements who were opposing the election reforms managed to use their influence on the president and the CEO and create the situation in a manner that they all drop the reform process from their top agenda," Jandad Spinghar, Chairman of Afghan Civil Society Election Network said.
"Our expectations were that the national assembly cast a positive vote on the legislative decree, however in line with the new developments, we are still resolute at bringing about election reforms," deputy presidential spokesman Sayed Zafar Hashemi said.
