Partial vote recount ordered in Kandahar

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok): Independent Election Commission (IEC) officials on Wednesday started recounting suspect votes in southern Kandahar province following allegations of fraud and other irregularities in the April 5 elections, an official said.

IEC Director Eng. Abdul Hadi Dawari told Pajhwok Afghan News the recount was launched in line directives from the IEC main office in Kabul.

He said candidates’ representatives, journalists, members of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) and IEC officials were overseeing the recount process of at least 24 ballot boxes delivered from polling stations in Ghorak, Daman, Panjwai districts and parts of Kandahar City.

Meanwhile, Marwand Wazir, the Independent Electoral Complaint Commission (IECC) chief in Kandahar, said they had registered 200 complaints, including 98 against presidential hopefuls.

Other complaints were filed against IEC employees, observers of candidates and security forces, accusing them of massive irregularities, he said.

A total of 3,000 complaints have been registered with the IEC from across the country pertaining to fraud and other irregularities.

The IEC has said it would address all complaints in the shortest possible time and recount process in provincea is aimed to ensure transparency.

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