President Ashraf Ghani's administration fires election commission

The Afghan government has fired its election commission. The move Tuesday by President Ashraf Ghani's administration comes more than three months after chaotic parliamentary elections — the results of which have still not been announced — and ahead of July's controversial presidential vote.

A terse four-sentence statement said both the Independent Election Commission and its complaints commission have been fired. It did not offer reasons but Ghani gave political parties and civil society representatives one week to nominate candidates to a new commission. Last October's Parliamentary polls, which were held three years late, were marred by widespread chaos. Polling stations opened hours late and some did not open at all. Workers trained in the use of a biometric identification system, aimed at curbing fraud, did not show up.

(With inputs from agencies.)