KABUL (Pajhwok): The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Monday said four international observers were yet to be granted credentials and issued visas for next month’s presidential election.
Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi, IEC deputy spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that 24 domestic observers had received their credentials for monitoring the election process.
However, he said: “No international organization has so far obtained credentials to monitor the election.”
He said 16 domestic and four foreign, eight civil society, three political parties and one media outlet had requested for credentials to monitor the election and they would soon get their accreditation.
“Issuing credentials to election observers will continue until September 21”, he added.
On the other hand, Yousuf Rashid, head of Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan(FFEFA), criticized the international community’s lack of interest in the Afghanistan presidential election.
 “We are seriously concerned about the lack of transparency in the upcoming election process because the international community shows no interest in the ballot and is spending no money.”
He said even if international observers were present, they would confine their presence to Kabul’s green area only and would only monitor areas where candidates were present.
About financial support to election oversight institutes, he said these groups were not supported financially and technically compared the past.
“Only one foreign organization receives fund from donor sources and then spends it through nonprofessional institutes who do not have experience in election’”, he said.
Rashid also criticized candidates for lacking their own monitoring program and said, “Only a limited number of tickets plan to monitor the election process despite being faced with shortage of resources. If there is no inclusive and effective observation of election, the democratic exercise will plunge into crisis.”
A day earlier, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said it would send its observers for the September 28 Afghan presidential election.
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