Afghan Leader Approves Reforms Of Election Watchdog

The new law will keep in place the Electoral Complaints Commission, which was integral to unmasking massive fraud during Afghanistan's last presidential election in 2009.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has approved changes to the make-up of Afghanistan's election-complaints watchdog, removing foreign UN representatives before presidential polls next year.

Karzai signed the reforms into law on July 17.

A 14-member parliamentary commission on July 15 passed the bill on governing next year's presidential election.

The new law will keep in place the Electoral Complaints Commission, which was integral to unmasking massive fraud during Afghanistan's last presidential election in 2009.

Karzai had demanded that the election watchdog should no longer include two foreign UN representatives.

Based on reporting by AFP and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan