Karzai says will not sack top election official

Source: Reuters

KABUL, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a statement on Monday he will not sack Afghanistan's top election official or make any changes to his cabinet, ahead of a Nov.7 presidential run-off.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSISL504774

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Karzai rejects call to sack top Afghan election official
Updated: Monday, October 26, 2009

Washington, 26 October (WashingtonTV)—Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that he would not sack the head of the country’s election commission, ahead of a 7 November run-off election.


Earlier, presidential candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, said election commission chairman, Azizullah Lodin, had “no credibility” and should be replaced immediately, reports the Associated Press.


Abdullah made the demand in a news conference in Kabul, during which he spelled out a list of what he said were “minimum conditions” for holding a fair run-off. He also called for the suspension of several government ministers.


But Karzai rejected both demands, reports Reuters.


Lodin himself said he would not stand down ahead of the vote.


“No, why should I resign?” he told Reuters.

more:http://televisionwashington.com/floater_article1.aspx?lang=en&t=2&id=15119

Source: The Guardian

• President snubs Abdullah Abdullah's terms for participation
• Western envoys alarmed as officials push for more polling stations
Jon Boone in Kabul guardian.co.uk, Monday 26 October 2009 17.54 GMT

Hamid Karzai's challenger in next month's presidential election run-off has demanded that the head of Afghanistan's election commission be sacked before the end of the month as one of a number of "conditions" for participating in the vote.

Abdullah Abdullah refused to say what would happen if his demands were not met by 31 October, but insisted that the chairman of the so-called Independent Election Commission (IEC), Azizullah Ludin, must step down from an organisation Abdullah accused of "bias, incompetence and widespread corruption".

...He also called for the suspension of three key government ministers during the election period, and the closing down of around 500 polling stations in areas that are too insecure to be monitored properly by election observers.

Karzai immediately rejected Abdullah's demands.


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/26/karzai-abdullah-sack-election-official

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The "President" the article refers to is Karzai.

changes after the election. A lot of ministers who are a problem will be forced out. But not before the election. I am not sure any of this is a surprise.