Media watch, Civil Society and Human Rights Commission urged president Karzai to sign the access to information draft law.

They say the prepared draft law should be signed before the MPs go to winter break.

Sediqullah Tawhidi, Director of Independent Media Watch during a press conference said, “access to information is essential to all media organizations and the people of the country.”

We insist that the Presidential Palace sign the law as a legislative decree and endorse it in order to help journalists, reporters, civil society activists, election related organizations and us said Tawhidi.

We ask the President to sign it as a legislative decree ahead of the election, as it is necessary, and then the full process of the law enforcement should be completed after the beginning of the next session of the National Assembly, he said.

The draft of the Law has remained in limbo for over a year, with the Ministry of Culture and Information and Ministry of Justice failing to see it through the legislator.

The officials said that the main reason of delaying the draft law was government careless about this draft law and the perception of need for this law in the government.

Mr. Tawhidi said that he would fight for getting the approval of the law

Afghan journalists have expressed concerns about the adversities they may

face in covering the upcoming elections without the backing of the Access to Information Law.

Most officials create problems whenever an issue is not in favor of them and they are not ready to answer journalists, they said.