KABUL (PAN): Some politicians and analysts on Tuesday called for the introduction of a joint electorate regime, denouncing the lower house decision on the Single Non-Transferable Vote (SNTV) system as contrary democratic principles. The Wolesi Jirga on Monday approved two important articles of the proposed election law concerning the Single Non-Transferable Vote (SNTV) system and ballot counts at voting centres. The draft law, having 17 chapters and 67 articles, was referred to the lower house in December 2012. Legislative Commission head Qazi Nazeer Ahmad Hanifi said the panel’s discussions showed 11 articles of the draft law were controversial. The draft law proposes vote counts at provincial offices, but legislators said ballots should be reckoned at voting centres. Eng. Mohammad Khan, the Hezb-i-Islami Executive Council member, told Pajhwok Afghan News his party was against the SNTV system, saying elections should be held on a party basis. He feared the latest parliamentary move could reverse all its previous steps toward strengthening democracy and empowering the masses. The leader said they had pinned all hopes on the Meshrano Jirga rejecting the decision. He said political parties should be given greater representation in elections and his party would continue to make efforts until the provisions were reserved. A National Coalition of Afghanistan member Fazal Rahman Orya said his party would not recognise the SNTV system as acceptable. He said the system was against the democratic culture and norms. He said the new parliament if elected under the provisions would not be able to serve the masses. Orya urged the upper house to reject the decision in order to keep the country from plunging into the hands of mafia groups. He claimed President Karzai had maneuvered behind the scene to get the new provisions added to the electoral law as many lawmakers were being dictated by him. Political analyst Khushal Khalil said it was a big problem in Afghanistan that everyone looked into a certain problem from his/her own perspective ignoring the interest of the masses and the country. He said most lawmakers, having no political basis, had made it to the house through influence and personal contacts. "Such people have no belief in democracy and consider it a joke," the analyst said. He said democracy required strengthening political parties. He said he had no idea why the lower house agreed to the provisions, but without the participation of political parties, democracy would have no meaning. He said a party based elections would compel candidates to stay away from wrongdoings in order not to earn a bad name to their respective parties. Another political analyst Dr. Faiz Mohammad Zaland said political parties had a great importance in elections. He said Afghanistan had a different situation that did not pave the ground for political forces to form a government. He said the government had not been able to empower political forces and security problems kept Afghans from electing a government of their choice.