Elections 2014 (44): Key documents underwriting the electoral agreement
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Elections 2014 (44): Key documents underwriting the
electoral agreement
Author : Martine van Bijlert
Published: 13 August 2014
Downloaded: 31 May 2015
Download URL:
https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/elections-2014-44-key-documents-underwriting-the-electoral-
agreement/?format=pdf
To provide background to the recent agreement between the two presidential candidates
brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry (see here and here), AAN has gathered the
texts of relevant statements in one place. These include, first and foremost, the joint
declaration agreed and signed by both candidates on 8 August 2014, as well as a series
of UNAMA and IEC press statements in the period preceding the 8 August press
conference, which document the rocky road of the electoral audit. Some of the
statements are followed by a brief commentary.
The documents included in this dispatch are:
the “Joint Declaration of the Electoral Teams regarding the Lawful Finalisation of the
Second Round of the Presidential Elections of 1393 and the Formation of a Government
of National Unity,” dated 8 August 2014 (annex 1);
UNAMA press statement on its proposal for recount and invalidation, dated 24 July 2014
(annex 2);
UNAMA press statement indicating candidates’ support for the adoption of the UN’s
proposal by the IEC, dated 26 July 2014 (annex 3);
IEC statement announcing the adoption of the recount and invalidation criteria, dated 30
July 2014 (annex 4);
UNAMA press statement welcoming the adoption of the IEC criteria, dated 30 July 2014
1 / 13(annex 5);
op-ed by US State Secretary John Kerry on the website of Afghan news outlet Tolo
News, dated 30 July 2014 (annex 6);
UNAMA statement clarifying its proposal on the audit criteria, dated 3 August (annex 7).
An earlier AAN dispatch with relevant electoral documents included correspondence between
the Abdullah team and the IEC in late June 2014, as well as transcripts of the recordings that
were released by the Abdullah camp at the time.
ANNEX 1. Joint declaration of the electoral teams (8 August 2014)
In the name of Allah the Merciful and Compassionate
Joint Declaration of the Electoral Teams regarding the Lawful Finalization of the Second Round
of the Presidential Elections of 1393 and the Formation of a Government of National Unity
Kabul, 17 Asad, 1393 [8 August 2014]
There is no doubt that our beloved country is in one of the most politically sensitive periods of its
history. Coming through this sensitive period successfully requires a strong and legitimate
government organized on the basis of political consensus and a strong collective determination.
As a result of a shared understanding of the sensitivity of the current situation, the general belief
of the political stratum of our society is that there is a need to build a broad national consensus
to carry out political reforms and to create the fundamental transformation in a time of change.
As centers of focus of the will of a clear majority of the nation, the campaign teams from the
second round of the elections are performing their moral and national duty in the formation of a
national unity government.
With a joint belief in the above-mentioned points and the vital necessity of national cooperation,
we, the signers of this document, representing the campaign teams, have decided to present
the following points [as joint decisions] to the noble nation of Afghanistan:
1) Recognition and respect for the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and
complying with the framework of its provisions and rules will be considered the cornerstone of
all measures and reforms now and in the future. In the same manner, the preservation of the
achievements of the jihad and resistance of the people of Afghanistan and the dynamic
democratic experience of the past thirteen years will be a guiding principle in the realization of a
national reform program.
2) The two parties remain bound and committed to the entirety of the political framework agreed
to on the 21st of Saratan 1393 (July 12, 2014) (reference attached), including: the formation of a
2 / 13government of national unity; the immediate establishment by Presidential decree of the
position of Government CEO; convening within two years a Loya Jirga to consider establishing
the position of an Executive Prime Minister; the appointment of senior officials according to
agreed principles and merit; and reforms, including of the electoral system. Agreement on the
political framework was reached with support from the international partners of our country as
the basis of the political agreement based on the constitution of Afghanistan in order to support
the implementation of the reform and transformation program, and they [we] are committed to
translating the substance of the political framework into a detailed and enduring [written]
agreement and sign it as soon as possible. Additionally, we recognize as our main priorities
cooperation for implementing the technical affairs of the agreement and defining a single
national program for reform and formation of the national unity government.
3) Just as in the case of the technical track, where the two sides established working teams to
practically move the audit process forward based on the United Nations criteria including audit,
recount, and invalidation to ensure transparency and restore credibility to the process, by
continuously working within the audit process and accepting its outcome, the two parties affirm
they are committed to sincerely cooperate on the political track as well. With this aim in mind,
the two parties [will] assign a joint commission comprised of members of both teams to finalize a
timeline for the electoral process, agree on the date for the inauguration of the new president,
with the goal of doing so by the second week of Sunbola 1393 (end of August), and draw up the
detailed text of the political agreement in light of the constitution and the political framework
agreement reached on 21st of Saratan 1393 (July 12, 2014).
May God Give us Success,
Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah
[Unofficial translation, as sent to the media by the US State Department]
Political Framework Agreed on July 12, 2014 [annex to the 8 August statement]
Pursuant to the results of the credible and comprehensive election audit described in Part One,
the candidates commit to implement a political agreement whereby the winner of the election
will serve as President and will immediately form a government of national unity with the
following characteristics:
1. The government of national unity will develop and implement a comprehensive program of
reform to empower the Afghan people and address the need for peace, stability, security, rule of
law, justice, economic growth, and delivery of services.
3 / 132. The President will convene a Loya Jirga, and initiate a process of amending the constitution,
to establish the position of an Executive Prime Minister within two years.
3. Until such time as the position of Executive Prime Minister is constitutionally established, the
functions of an Executive Prime Minister will be performed by a Government Chief Executive
Officer. This position of Government CEO will be immediately established by Presidential
decree, and will be held by a nominee of the runner-up and mutually agreed by the President.
4. The President will create the position of Leader of the Opposition. The runner-up will select
the person of his choice to fill this position.
5. Appointments to the key national security, economic, and independent government agencies
will be apportioned according to the principle of achieving parity between the choices of the
President and the Leader of the Opposition. Cabinet, judiciary, and key sub-national
appointments will be apportioned according to the principle of fair representation, chosen by the
President in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.
6. The President commits to maintain continuity of the leadership in key national security
agencies for at least 90 days.
7. The unity government commits to adopt within one year fundamental reforms of the electoral
system, developed by a broadly representational process, with a goal of remedying prior
electoral shortcomings.
Background to the Joint declaration of 8 August 2014:
The document was signed and alluded to in a joint press conference by US State Secretary
John Kerry and the two candidates, and signatories, of the declaration, but it was not formally
released, nor were it’s contents explained in any detail (see here ). The text was later emailed to
journalists by the US State Department and posted on social media by members of the
candidate teams, but the exact status of the text remains unclear. It is worth noting that only the
8 August declaration was signed, while the more detailed agreement of 12 July was attached as
an annex. At the time of posting of this dispatch the candidates had not yet finalised their
nominees for the joint commission (later that morning, however the commission met for the first
time).
ANNEX 2. UNAMA press statement on the proposed invalidation criteria, 24 July 2014
PRESS STATEMENT: United Nations proposes criteria for ordering recounts and invalidations
KABUL, 24 July 2014 – The United Nations (UN) today presented its proposal to the
Independent Election Commission (IEC) for a regulatory decision covering criteria for ordering
4 / 13the recount of ballot boxes and the invalidation of ballots as part of the ongoing comprehensive
audit of the results of the Presidential election run-off held on 15 June.
The Director of the UN’s Electoral Assistance Division, Craig Jenness, delivered the proposal
to the IEC Chairman, Dr. Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani, earlier this afternoon.
Under the technical agreement reached by the two Presidential candidates, Dr. Abdullah
Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani, the UN was asked to propose the manner for the supervision of
the audit. In making its proposals, the agreement requires the UN to consult with both
candidates.
As part of the technical agreement, the entirety of the approximately 23,000 ballot boxes of the
run-off are to be audited in Kabul in the presence of international and domestic observers,
candidate agents, the media and UN advisors.
In the first part of the audit, there is a physical inspection of each ballot box in the IEC auditing
warehouses in Kabul. Using a 16-point checklist set out in the technical agreement, IEC audit
teams are recording information as to the physical condition of each box, the state of its results
form, whether ballot papers in the box were marked according to procedure or show significant
patterns of obviously similar markings, and relevant information from the polling station journal
and polling station voter log. No decisions as to the inclusion or exclusion of votes are made
during this stage of information gathering, which has been ongoing since 17 July.
The second part of the audit involves open meetings of the IEC Board of Commissioners where
decisions are made to accept, recount or invalidate results based upon reports generated from
the information gathered during the physical audit.
As per the technical agreement, these Commission meetings will be conducted in the presence
of international and domestic observers, candidate agents, the media and a UN advisor.
Following the IEC board’s decisions, the results of the associated polling stations will be
processed at the National Tally Centre. Under Afghan law, the Presidential campaigns retain the
right to appeal these decisions to the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC)
within 24 hours and the IECC is required to provide a ruling on these appeals within a further 48
hours.
In order to provide a tangible expression of support to the technical agreement, the two
Presidential candidates supported the start of the physical stage of the audit on 17 July. At this
time it was also agreed that IEC Board meetings to decide on the acceptance, recount or
invalidation of results would not take place until a regulatory decision setting out recount and
invalidation criteria was formally adopted.
From a legal standpoint, the current audit is being conducted under Article 58 of Afghanistan's
Electoral Law, which allows for the investigation of “justifiable complaints of or visible signs of
fraud in the ballot boxes.” Election fraud is a very serious infringement of democratic values,
5 / 13strictly forbidden by Afghan laws. Every effort is required to excise electoral fraud from the
political system, not just for the purposes of the present audit but for the sake of future
elections. At the same time, the foundation of democracy is the equal right of each citizen to
choose their leaders through the ballot. Every effort is also required to preserve the sanctity of
legitimate ballots, especially given the real risks that many Afghans took in casting their ballots.
This is a difficult balance in any country, and more so in Afghanistan’s current context which
includes challenges related to security, low levels of literacy and a history of troubled elections.
The current UN proposal regarding recounts and invalidations attempts to strike the proper
balance between these two considerations and follows the Afghan Constitution and legal
framework. It was developed after extensive consultations with both Presidential campaigns.
The UN was ultimately not able to obtain agreement of both or either candidate to a common
text that was agreeable to the other candidate. It has therefore proposed a text which addresses
the legitimate points raised during the consultations while meeting the best international
standards and factoring in the unique context of Afghanistan.
Given the urgency of the matter, the United Nations has now encouraged the IEC Board to
rapidly meet and adopt the necessary regulatory decisions based on this proposal so that the
next stage of the audit can commence.
Background to the 24 July 2014 UNAMA press statement:
The agreement to engage in a full audit of all second round votes was brokered on 12 July 2014
by US State Secretary John Kerry. Three days later the IEC adopted criteria for the audit
checklist, based on the inconclusive discussions that had preceded the announcement of the
contested preliminary results on 7 July 2014 (more details here). The invalidation criteria,
however, were still pending when the audit started on 17 July and no progress was made in the
week that followed. The audit, in the meantime, proceeded in fits and starts: after the symbolic
start on 17 July - 30 audit teams all reviewed one box each - the audit was already suspended
on the second working day on 20 July and then again on 22 July. On 24 July 2014 the UN
stepped in with its proposal. For more details see here and here.
ANNEX 3. UNAMA press statement on candidates’ support for the proposal, 26 July 2014
PRESS STATEMENT: Presidential candidates support IEC adopting UN proposal
KABUL, 26 July 2014 – Afghanistan’s two Presidential candidates, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and
Dr. Ashraf Ghani, have indicated to the United Nations that they support the Independent
Election Commission (IEC) adopting the UN proposal for a regulatory decision covering criteria
for recounts and invalidations of ballots as part of the ongoing comprehensive audit of the
country’s Presidential election run-off.
6 / 13The United Nations had presented its proposal to the IEC on 24 July in the context of the
technical agreement reached by the two Presidential candidates, which asked the UN to
propose the manner for the supervision of the audit.
Both candidates indicated to the United Nations that they had their own respective concerns
with the proposal, but were prepared to proceed with it as a good faith effort based on
international best practice to bridge their positions.
Dr. Abdullah and Dr. Ghani expressed their shared view that it was in the national interest to
finalise the regulatory framework of the audit.
The United Nations welcomes the statesmanship shown by the candidates in coming to this
difficult decision as well as the sincere engagement by their technical teams in the preparation
of the UN proposal. Based on this support from the two parties and recognising the legal
mandate of the IEC, the UN now encourages the IEC Board to rapidly meet and adopt the
necessary regulatory decisions so that the next stage of the audit can commence.
Background to the 26 July 2014 UNAMA press statement:
The UN, in its proposal, had sought to address the demands and concerns of both candidates’
teams, based on the discussions with both sides, while seeking not to alienate an IEC already
tetchy over what in many ways was seen as an international take-over. This carefully worded
statement was thus meant as a nudge to the IEC to accept and adopt the proposal, while it
overstated (at least in its headline) the level of buy-in by the candidates – as would become
clear later. On 26 July, the IEC suspended the audit until after the Eid holidays.
ANNEX 4. IEC press statement on adoption of the invalidation criteria, 30 July 2014
IEC Adopts Recount and Invalidation Criteria for Afghan Presidential Election
Kabul, Afghanistan, 30 July 2014 – The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has formally
adopted criteria for the recount and invalidation of ballots, as part of its 100% audit of the run-off
round of voting for the Presidential election.
The adoption of the criteria is consistent with the laws of Afghanistan and the mandate of the
IEC. The criteria are based on a proposal of the United Nations, finalized after extensive
consultations with the campaign teams of both presidential candidates, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah
and Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.
The IEC’s adoption of recount and invalidation criteria completes the regulatory framework for
the audit and provides clarity, transparency, and consistency to this crucial process in which all
ballot boxes from the run-off round of voting, held on June 14, will be physically audited at the
7 / 13IEC’s headquarters in Kabul.
The audit will resume on Saturday (2 August) morning following a break for the Eid al-Fitr
national holiday.
For more information, contact the IEC External Relations Department at: (M) 079 835 55 355 /
(E) info@iec.org.af
Background to the three statements on 30 July 2014 (IEC, UNAMA and Kerry op-ed):
On 26 July 2014 the IEC suspended the audit until after the Eid holidays (which started on 28
July). On the third day of Eid, a day before the audit was originally set to restart, the IEC
announced the adoption of the invalidation criteria and indicated that the audit would now restart
on 2 August 2014. According to the IEC, the criteria had been “finalised after extensive
consultations with the campaign teams of both presidential candidates.” The UN welcomed the
IEC move (annex 5) and stated that with the adoption of the criteria “the regulatory framework
for the Presidential audit is now complete.” The Abdullah camp however continued to express
reservations. On the same day, Tolo News posted an op-ed by John Kerry in which he sought
to clarify the substance of the political agreement, amidst confusion and disagreement over
what had been agreed (annex 6).
ANNEX 5. UNAMA press statement, welcoming IEC adoption of the criteria, 30 July 2014
PRESS STATEMENT: UNAMA welcomes IEC’s adoption of criteria for invalidation and recount
of ballots
KABUL, 30 July 2014 – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
welcomes the Independent Election Commission’s (IEC) decision to adopt criteria for the
invalidation and recount of ballots as part of the ongoing comprehensive audit of the results of
the Presidential election run-off held on 14 June.
The IEC decision is based on a UN proposal founded upon international best practice. Under
the technical agreement reached by the two Presidential candidates, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and
Dr. Ashraf Ghani, on 12 July, the UN was asked to propose the manner for the international
supervision of the audit, which it did after thorough and extensive consultations with both
Presidential campaigns. The IEC decision has the full backing of the international community.
“This decision will ensure that the audit process will lead to the invalidation of fraudulent ballots
while all valid votes will be counted, thus honouring the courage and determination of the
Afghans who voted in both rounds of the Presidential election,” said the Secretary-General’s
Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, Ján Kubiš, who met with the IEC
Board of Commissioners earlier today.
8 / 13“The IEC’s adoption of the criteria means that the regulatory framework for the Presidential
audit is now complete,” added Mr. Kubiš. “It will help minimise the points of friction encountered
in the audit so far. I encourage both campaigns to continue demonstrating the political will
necessary to proceed expeditiously with the audit, without any interruption.”
Noting the urgent situation facing Afghanistan once auditing does resume on Saturday,
following the Eid break, the Special Representative looks forward to the candidate teams
continuing their participation in the audit process and focusing on large-scale irregularities rather
than contesting individual ballots.
ANNEX 6. Text of op-ed for Tolo News by US Secretary of State John Kerry, 30 July 2014
Op-Ed from State Secretary Kerry
Wednesday, 30 July 2014. Written by John Kerry
Again and again, through all my visits to your country, I've been struck by one profound fact:
Afghans want and deserve a better future. You want to live without fear, to have the best
possible education for your children, health care systems that provide dignity and the jobs and
other opportunities that come with a stable economy.
Something else has been clear to me: Democracy is the path Afghans have chosen to achieve
that better life.
For more than a decade, President Hamid Karzai has led Afghanistan through triumph and
tragedy. I've worked closely with him, and I know that one of his lasting legacies will be how
Afghanistan makes its first democratic, peaceful transfer of power.
Afghans took an enormous step on the road toward a stronger democracy in April and June
when millions of people went to the polls to choose the country's next president. Every vote was
a courageous endorsement of democracy, and an expression of hope for the future.
The United States knows from our own history the road to democracy is bumpy and the journey
is not completed overnight. Democracy requires building credible institutions, overcoming
divisions, building trust and working together for a brighter future.
Today, Afghanistan and its two presidential candidates face one of those bumps in the road -- a
moment of decision. Their ability to overcome the obstacles and work together to honor the
votes of millions of their citizens will determine the future of Afghanistan and its relationship with
the international community.
The United States, the United Nations and the international community are engaged in the post-
9 / 13election process solely to help the Afghan election institutions restore credibility to the voting.
Experts tell me that the audit under way in Kabul is the largest and most complicated election
audit ever undertaken anywhere.
Few countries could meet this challenge alone.
Specialists from the UN are working side by side with their Afghan colleagues to ensure that the
audit meets the laws of Afghanistan, the highest international standards and, most importantly,
the expectations of Afghans. The process, which has been painstaking and slow, will accelerate
with the end of Eid al-Fitr. But democracy can't be rushed and every legitimate vote deserves to
be counted and respected. The Afghan Independent Election Commission, the UN and dozens
of international observers are working night and day to conclude the audit.
The audit is only one part of the challenge confronting democracy in Afghanistan today. Equally
important are the actions of the two candidates, Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah,
and their political teams.
On July 12, the two candidates shook hands and agreed to respect the results of the audit.
They also agreed to build a unity government that will lead Afghanistan to a better future. The
political agreement responds to a challenging situation that requires cooperation between the
two leaders and their broad range of supporters.
In reaching the agreement, Dr. Abdullah and Dr. Ghani showed incredible statesmanship. In
any democracy, it's very hard after an intense campaign as a presidential candidate to come to
that moment where you must put your own aspirations and those of your supporters second to
the greater long-term interests of your country. Both candidates managed to overcome their
reservations and those of their backers. They set aside political interests in favor of the national
interest. They exhibited the statesmanship we expect from great leaders.
Their challenge now is to translate that agreement into a strong working relationship in the new
government, whoever wins. The time for politics is over. The time for cooperation is at hand.
There is no time to waste, and I encourage both teams to work cooperatively on the critical
issues facing their country even as the audit continues.
It's not for outsiders to describe the contents of the political framework both candidates
accepted a few days ago. But I was there in the room, and I can tell you what is not in that one-
page document.
It does not violate the Afghan constitution – it respects Afghan institutions and the role of the
president as the head of government. It does not establish a parliamentary system – it creates a
new position of chief executive who will report to the president until the president convenes a
loya jirga to determine whether a permanent change is in the best interests of the country.
What the agreement does provide is a critical opportunity for both candidates to move beyond
10 / 13political competition to real statesmanship. It is a chance for them to work together to build an
inclusive government that represents all sectors of Afghan society – Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks
and Hazaras, men and women.
Yes, democracy is an evolutionary process. It isn't easy. But every democracy reaches a
decisive moment where the interests of the country must outweigh the interests of politicians.
Afghanistan is at that critical point today. Its leaders cannot afford to miss the chance to help
bring their people the better lives they deserve and demand. And that is a challenge for two
statesmen who both love Afghanistan.
(U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry brokered an agreement between Afghan presidential
candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani-Ahmadzai on July 12 that would audit all eight
million votes cast in the runoff presidential election.
The views expressed in this Op-Ed are those of its author and not representative of TOLOnews)
ANNEX 7. UNAMA press statement indicating flexibility towards the invalidation criteria,
3 August 2014
PRESS STATEMENT: UN clarifies proposal on audit process
KABUL, 3 August 2014 – At the request of Presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the
United Nations yesterday met with him and the technical experts of the Reform and Partnership
Team.
They discussed the UN proposal for recounts and invalidations as part of the ongoing
comprehensive audit of the Presidential elections run-off.
The parties confirmed the following:
1.) The agreement on items 12 and 16 of the audit checklist included in the 12 July Technical
Framework Agreement is reconfirmed and will be fully implemented during the audit process.
2.) The process of adjudication on the findings of the audit will not begin before the end of the
week, after technical preparations and data entry of information collected from the audit is
undertaken. Campaign agents and observers will be provided access to these preparatory
steps. Further clarifications of invalidation criteria will be made during the course of preparatory
process, as needed, before the invalidation process commences. The relevant proposals,
including of the Reform and Partnership Team, will be taken into consideration. In case new
issues that require attention will arise during the course of conducting the audit, the UN will
consider whether the relevant procedures and criteria require refinement and updating. The
senior UN international elections expert, Jeff Fischer, who directly advises the Board of the
11 / 13Independent Election Commission (IEC) on international best practices as it makes decisions to
validate, invalidate or recount ballots cast in the presidential election run-off has the discretion
to apply special scrutiny to any boxes he deems warranted.
3.) The UN proposal will not allow ballots from ‘ghost’ polling centres and stations to enter the
electoral system.
4.) In cases that ballot boxes are lost, missing, damaged or destroyed an investigation of all
relevant information will be conducted including on the basis but not limited to IEC documents. If
these investigations reveal no valid proof that a missing ballot box served as an active polling
station it will be excluded.
5.) International experts will be fully involved in the entire audit process and in addition to
offering advice will take part in the adjudication process.
The Reform and Partnership Team has informed the United Nations that it will attend the Audit
Technical Committee meeting tonight and will resume its participation in the audit process
tomorrow.
Background to the 3 August 2014 UNAMA statement:
After an extended break for the Eid holiday, during which the IEC adopted the invalidation
criteria as proposed by UNAMA (see annex 4), the audit was scheduled to restart on 2 August.
This was postponed for a day when the observers from the Abdullah camp did not show up, to
signal their protest against the criteria that they believed did not sufficiently take their demands
and concerns into account. John Kerry spoke on the phone with both candidates and was said
to have secured assurances from Abdullah that he was not abandoning the process. Abdullah
and his technical team that evening also met with UNAMA to further discuss the criteria. On the
next day, the audit was again delayed, then suspended, after which it unexpectedly was
restarted anyway, in the afternoon, without the Abdullah observers. IEC chair Yusuf Nuristani
announced that there would be no further delays and that the process would now continue, with
or without the presence of both candidate teams. When later that afternoon Abdullah’s team
released another recording alleging the implication of government officials in fraud (this time
Vice President Karim Khalili) it looked like another crisis was brewing.
However, when the UN released the above statement, indicating that the criteria would be
reopened for discussion, the crisis seemed to be averted. In response to the assurances,
Abdullah’s camp announced they would return to the process on the condition that in the
coming days their demands would be taken into account.
The statement alludes to some of Abdullah’s concerns, including the reference to “ghost polling
stations” and the possible need for “special scrutiny” (for instance in areas where the turnout
increased exponentially between the first and the second round). The statement also leaves
room for “clarifications” and “updating and refining” – respectively “during the course of the
12 / 13preparation process” before the start of the invalidations and “in case new issues [arise] that
require attention.”
The invalidation criteria have, incidentally, still not been finalised and the discussions with the
Abdullah camp were, at the time of posting, still ongoing (see for instance here).
13 / 13
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)You can also read
