Official: Transparent Elections in Afghan Hands, Not U.S.
KABUL: (MEP) – With the elections only three months, officials are kicking efforts to ensure transparent and smooth-running elections into high gear. Being the first national elections since the fall of the Taliban that will be entirely Afghan managed; much is riding on the April vote.
In an exclusive interview with TOLOnews, Head of Information and Media Center of Government Sefatullah Safi spoke out about the role of the U.S. in the elections and impressed upon the importance of Kabul’s biggest ally taking a hands-off approach.
According to Safi, Washington doesn’t have the right to interfere in the election process, rather it only has the right to observe them, along with the other international monitors that will help document improprieties wherever they may occur.
His comments come after President Hamid Karzai listed guaranteeing transparent elections as one his preconditions to signing the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) back in November after the Loya Jirga had convened.
“America must cooperate with us, before you accept this agreement and approve it, our elections must be held in a legitimate and respectable manner,” Karzai said during his closing speech at the Jirga in Kabul.
However, since then, the President has ostensibly dropped that demand and focused entirely on getting the U.S. to help get Taliban peace talks rolling and end unilateral operations involving Afghan homes.
“Afghanistan and the people of Afghanistan, observing teams, IEC and its methods and equipments are there to guarantee the transparency of elections,” Safi said. “The United States and other counties that are cooperating with us are welcomed any time and can play a positive role, but cannot interfere in the process.”
Safi emphasized that the pending Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which would ensure a continued military partnership between the U.S. and Afghanistan after the NATO combat mission ends next year, had nothing to do with the Presidential elections.
