KABUL (SW) – A number of protesting Wolesi Jirga (lower house) candidates have called for declaring the polls in Kabul as void.
Haroon Motarif, one such candidate, told Salam Watandar the results have been tilted in favor of those who paid hefty sums of money. He said the protesting candidates support the previous decision by the Independent Election Complaint Commission about declaring the Kabul votes as annulled.
Den Mohammad Darveshi, another protesting candidate, said the WJ polls in Kabul were marred by irregularities and rigging. He said those electoral commissioners engaged in rigging should be referred to the legal institutions for accountability.
The electoral observers expressed mix reaction over the results. Yosuf Rasheed, chief executive for the Fair and Free Election Foundation of Afghanistan, said these results are not final, and changes can be brought to it.
However, Naeem Ayubzada, chairman for the Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan, has hailed the announcement of results as a victory for the Independent Election Commission. He said proof of irregularities and rigging in all 33 provinces would be shared with the IECC.
Meanwhile, the IEC spokesman, Zabihullah Sadaat, has clarified the complaining candidates only have 48 hours to submit their objections.
ENDS
