Khaberni - The Secretary-General of the Party Registry in the Independent Election Authority, Ahmed Abu Zeid, said on Thursday that all political parties had been required to amend their constitutions according to the governing standards.
Ahmed Abu Zeid explained in statements to the "Kingdom" channel that the parties' responses came at different rates and over different periods, and correspondence began last June. The process is nearing its end, where 6 parties have yet to complete the required modifications and have been notified; four of these parties have complied, while the Workers' Party and the Islamic Action Front have not completed the required modifications.
He highlighted that the observations on the systems varied between each party, noting that the Islamic Action Front has not completed the Authority’s observations despite being given an additional week to make amendments to its constitution.
He added that the Workers' Party officially addressed the Authority accepting some amendments, but refused and abstained from making other amendments requested according to the governing standards which were applied equally to all parties, saying, "The Workers' Party had more than one point that was directed to it in official letters and correspondences."
He continued that one of the points it rejected related to some observations that were placed on the basic system or the draft of the basic system provided by the party, with respect to the courts and the powers to impose and direct sanctions.
Ahmed Abu Zeid explained that some sanctions were issued by the party’s general secretariat and the secretary-general independently of the authority or the body concerned with broadcasting disputes, conventionally called the party court, where these general secretariat was given tasks of issuing and directing sanctions for warnings, notices, freezing among others, and recommending expulsion sanctions, which contradicts the concept of sound governance with an independent party court in its decisions and considering all decisions.
He also indicated multiple powers represented in delegating the party’s general secretariat to an unelected body, which is the executive office, in addition to issues related to providing financial rewards to the secretary-general sometimes from party funds, which violates the provisions of article 25/A of the party law, and other observations also directed in writing and the texts of the articles that the party included in its constitution.
Regarding the Islamic Action Front party, Ahmed Abu Zeid mentioned that there are also numerous observations, clarifying that the issue raised in the media that the violation was directed only at the front regarding the name is incorrect. He explained that the name is part of the violations directed at the party according to the provisions of article 5/A and 5/B of the party law, and that the Authority has clarified its legal interpretation of this text more than once.
He added that there are other observations related to the mechanism for forming their party courts, and the mechanism for electing the party court, which were required according to sound governance standards to be elected from the general conference, the highest authority in the party, to become independent in its decisions and not subject to the influence of any agency that brings it or carries out the process of dissolving these courts later.
He pointed to issues related to the liquidation of party funds in case the party went for voluntary dissolution or by court decision, where the draft of the system contradicts the provisions of the law regarding liquidation funds, for example, the draft referred to the funds being transferred to charitable associations, while the law in article 7/C requires that the funds be returned to the parties' item in the state treasury.
He mentioned observations related to the mechanism of forming or electing the executive office, where the standards clearly and explicitly state that all organizational structures must be elected, whereas the draft gave the secretary-general the right to name all members of the executive office completely, which forms the executive leadership of the party making decisions, which contradicts these standards, in addition to a group of other points that were directed in books and correspondence of the Authority.
He also pointed out that to this date no amendments regarding the Workers' Party and the Islamic Action Front have been received by the Party Registry; therefore, we are now talking about the post-procedures and the legal deadlines provided by the law and the constitution. He added: "Yes, to date, neither the Workers' Party nor the Islamic Action Front have completed all the required observations, which constitute a violation of the provisions of the law and the standards issued under it."
He confirmed that the Commissioners' Council met and recently issued its decisions, considering these parties in violation of the law, despite all the deadlines given to them and the letters and correspondences sent to them, thereby basing this judgment on article 33 of the law, and these parties are required to notify the Authority to rectify those violations within 60 days from the date of this notification.
He highlighted the additional deadline granted to these parties to respond, just like all political parties that corresponded according to governance standards to correct their constitutions in a way that aligns with the institutional work within these parties and is consistent with the provisions of the constitution and the law, and that this deadline began from the date these parties were notified with the letters, notices, and council decisions.
He pointed out that the Authority is open to all political parties, ready to dialogue with any political party to discuss any ambiguity or lack of clarity in the points required from these parties to express, but on the other hand, there is a legal entitlement that the Authority must proceed with to enforce the provisions of the law fairly on all political parties equally.
The Independent Election Authority addressed the Workers' Party and the Islamic Action Front about the necessity of rectifying the violations in their basic systems in compliance with the provisions of the current law, according to the legal durations stipulated in the party law.
The Authority confirmed its commitment to applying the party law fairly, guaranteeing fairness of opportunity among all parties, and ensuring the integrity of political competition, which roots the standards of fairness as a general rule, and prevents monopolizing symbols or employing affiliations and traits to benefit one party over another.
