Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday signed into Law reforms that remove foreign UN representatives from the country’s electoral complaints watchdog ahead of key polls due next year.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday signed into Law reforms that remove foreign UN representatives from the country’s electoral complaints watchdog ahead of key polls due next year.

"I sign into effect, the law for structures, authorities and duties of the elections commission and electoral complaints commission," Karzai announced in a decree.
"This decree has come into effect after being signed," he added.

The changes were approved by MPs in parliament on Monday and will keep in place the Election Complaints Commission (ECC) that was integral to unmasking massive levels of fraud at the last presidential election in 2009.

The Afghan government ordered last year that the organization be replaced by a special tribunal appointed directly by Karzai.

The 14-member commission of MPs on Monday approved keeping the ECC, but said it could no longer include two foreign, UN representatives, bowing to a key Karzai demand. Instead its five members will all be Afghans.

Under the new law, members will be appointed by a selection committee, which will include the speakers of both houses of parliament, the Supreme Court and human rights commission, and a civil society representative.

The same panel will also appoint the head of the Independent Election Commission, which is responsible for the administration of the polls and who was previously appointed by Karzai.