DI Releases Afghanistan Electoral Law Translation

DI has published its unofficial translation of Afghanistan’s new Electoral Law.

On February 17, with Afghanistan’s National Assembly in recess, President Hamid Karzai issued an Article 79 presidential decree amending the Electoral Law of Afghanistan. According to Article 79, in the event of an emergency, the President of Afghanistan is permitted to issue decrees amending laws. It also affords the National Assembly the opportunity to reject these decrees. Afghanistan’s lower house of the National Assembly, the Wolesi Jirga, took just that action with a majority of members voting to reject the Article 79 decree. For Article 79 decrees to be nullified, however, both houses of parliament must reject them. Afghanistan’s upper house, the Meshrano Jirga, chose not to include the Article 79 decree in its working agenda. It is now widely acknowledged that the Article 79 Electoral Law decree forms the framework by which Wolesi Jirga elections will be held on September 18, 2010.

DI’s Electoral Law translation is available for download here.