Special court verdict won’t alter poll results, MPs assured

KABUL): A lawmaker on Wednesday said President Karzai had assured them that the final verdict of a special court would have no impact on final results from last year’s parliamentary election.

The revelation comes a day after a group of MPs met Karzai to discuss with him the fate of the special tribunal. Presidential advisor on national security, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, was also present at the meeting at the Presidential Palace.

“Karzai told us that he has decided not to change the polls final results,” second deputy Wolesi Jirga speaker, Ahmad Behzad, told Wednesday’s session.

He said Karzai was of the view that any change in the results could lead to another political crisis in the country. “President will talk with the chief justice regarding the delay in the announcement of the special court’s verdict,” Behzad said.

The second deputy speaker said the government, the legislature, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies would jointly discuss the special court to find an appropriate solution to the imbroglio.

The court was established on Dec.22, 2011 according to a proposal by the Supreme Court with the approval from the president to investigate fraud allegations, but the panel had not yet released its final verdict on the allegations.

Recently, some parliamentarians said nearly 80 members of the house would be disqualified when the court would announce its investigation.

Karzai had also promised lawmakers he would soon introduce his seven nominees for the remaining Cabinet slots for a vote of confidence, first deputy speaker, Khalid Pakhtoon, said.

Since his reelection in 2009, Karzai had introduced his ministers-designate thrice to the house, but only 19 of them were able to obtain the trust vote.

Ministries, including public health, urban development, information technology and telecommunications, transport and civil aviation and water and energy are being run by acting ministers.

Meanwhile, losing candidates said the court’s final verdict should change the final results. “Karzai said this in a bid to win the support of winning parliamentarians for his remaining Cabinet ministers,” a losing candidate Abdul Kabir Ranjbar, said.

The president had promised losing candidates that there should be changes in the result when the court would hand down its verdict on allegations of fraud, he said. “If Karzai wants no changes in the final result, it will be contempt of the Supreme Court,” he said.

Asked about their future stragety, he said: “We are public representatives and we will not allow anyone to usurp rights of the people.”

The special court chief, Sidiqullah Haqiq, said he would complete the task he had been given.  “The court will complete its probe, but it is not the duty of the panel to implement the verdict,” he said.

myn/frm/ma

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