Karzai overturns law that pot seats for women MPs

Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent and Jerome Starkey, Kabul & , : {}

President Karzai has since his choosing cronies the management to find new ways of stuffing womens seats in stirring parliamentary ballots, in a move that critics fright will eat away inherent safeguards written to pledge womanlike MPs.

A uneven direct released last week gave the Independent Election Commission, that ran the fake presidential polls in August, the right to reallocate seats indifferent for women in cases where there are not sufficient womanlike possibilities on the list sheets.

Under the existent law Afghan women are on trial dual seats per range in the reduce residence of parliament. The system, written after the fall of the Taleban to foster womens rights, guarantees women a sure series of seats on roughly each inaugurated body.

However, the decree, released last week, allows the Commission to find new ways of stuffing dull posts. If the vacancies can be filled by masculine possibilities afterwards the open to intimidation, pronounced a womens rights romantic in Kabul. Its in the mens interests to daunt women from standing. Women in open bureau already risk genocide threats.

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Mr Karzai faced critique for undermining womens rights to hoard regressive await prior to the choosing when he sealed in the Shia Muslim family law that authorised marital rape. It is thought that he might be attempting to seaside up the same regressive energy bottom in the parliamentary elections.

Western officials pronounced that the Presidents intentions could volume to a crack of the constitution.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, pronounced that Britain would conflict any bid by Mr Karzai to extent the series of women in parliament. Any idea that one sex of the Afghan race has less right than an additional to mount we would deplore, Mr Miliband said.

Few people have seen the direct and The Times was incompetent to endorse the wording.

Sir John Stanley, a comparison Conservative on the Foreign Affairs Committee, urged Mr Miliband to pledge womens rights or alternative human rights if deals were struck with the Taleban to finish the insurgency.

Mr Karzais direct led to debate at the week end since it removes the general infancy on the five-member Election Complaints Commission and allows Mr Karzai to name a new panel.

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