The
Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA), with the support of the
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Commission (EC)
recently held its first national elections in seven years on Monday March 26,
in Kabul, Afghanistan.
AIJA
members from thirty Afghan provinces elected Khpolwak Safi as the President of
the association and three others as Deputy President, Secretary and Treasurer.
Ms Sharifa
Zormati was elected from a field of six nominees – AIJA’s first female Deputy
President
Ahmad
Hanayesh, from Parwan
Province, was elected as
the second Deputy President.
Former
AIJA President, Rahimullah Samandar, did not stand for re-election but was
elected Secretary General.
The day
of the election coincided with the launch of two key publications:
· The Afghanistan Media For
Democracy Handbook, which includes chapters on transitional justice, the
status of local news, media and democratic processes and new information drawn
from a pre-election survey and includes contributions by some of Afghanistan’s
most senior journalists and media personalities.
· The Afghanistan National
Opinion Poll – a national survey of voter’s opinions about the democratic
process and transition in Afghanistan.
Following the election, AIJA members also
participated in two days of training on Safety and Security; and Union Leadership
Skills.
“The IFJ congratulates the AIJA for the successful
holding of its recent election”, IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park
said.
“The AIJA have played an important role in ensuring
that media workers in Afghanistan
continue to have a voice in Afghanistan.
We commend them for their ongoing commitment to
press freedom, and their work fighting for the improved safety, rights and
conditions of their members.”
For
further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +61 2 9333 0950
The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131
countries
Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific
Find the IFJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific