Videos show 2 ministers wooing voters for candidate

KABUL Minister Dr.Firozuddin Firoz campaigning for a candidate.

President Ashraf Ghani on August 7 released an order, asking government officials not to interfere in the Wolesi Jirga elections.

The presidential order says Afghan security forces are responsible for ensuring security of polling centers and not letting illegal armed men enter these centers.

The president has asked government officials not to meddle in election affairs and avoid using government machinery in favor or against any candidate.

According to Article 98 of the Electoral Law, no government officer is allowed to campaign or use government resources in favor or against any candidate and it is a violation.

The violator of the electoral law is fined from 10,000 afghanis to 80,000 afghanis according to the law.

The article 10 of the Electoral Law says: “No one can interfere directly or indirectly in election affairs.”

This article also says that using government resources in favor or against any candidate is prohibited.

 “Equal use of state-owned and public resources and facilities in favor of all candidates in accordance with the provisions of this law shall be an exception to this provision,” the article says.

Razia Saadat Mangal, a lawmaker from southeastern Paktia province who is seeking her reelection in the Oct 20 Wolesi Jirga polls, has violated the Electoral Law by using the opinions of two ministers in her favor.

The two ministers, Durani, Dr. Firoz in two separate video clips posted on social media urge people to vote for Mangal.

In the clip posted by Mangal’s campaign team, Durani says: “Hi brave people of Paktia, I as a minister request you to vote for Razia Saadat Mangal.”

“This sister shares a lot of problems of her people with us, she tries to solve problems with struggle, she loves her country and should be supported in her victory,” the minister says in his video message.

However, Durrani said the video was from last year and his goal was not to campaign for the candidate.

“Mangal took a video clip from me about a year ago when there were no election activities, I just said that she is a powerful representative because she always tries to get more projects for her people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Firozuddin Firoz, the public health minister, also in a video clip says: “The lawmaker, Razia Mangal, is really a hardworking representative, she supports the public health ministry and also works for improving her people’s livelihood.”

However, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said that the video was from last year and it was recorded during the inauguration of a hospital in Paktia province. The ministry said the video was not related to election campaign.

Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) head, Yousuf Rashid, said that participation of government officials and authorities in election campaigns of candidates was against the law and campaigning rules.

About the two ministers’ support for Mangal, said: “If government officials publically and formally participate in candidates’ campaigns or encourage people to support a specific candidate, it is a clear violation of the electoral law and electoral commissions should take action in this regard,”

Meanwhile, Mirza Mohammad Haqparast, deputy Independent Election Commission (IEC) head, also said the two ministers had committed a violation and they would face the law.

The Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) is responsible for responding to the issue.

Ali Reza Rouhani, IECC spokesman, said, that participation of government officers in election campaigns was an electoral offense and the issue would be investigated.

If the two Cabinet members lodged a complaint against the candidate about the video clips or shared an evidence with the IECC, the issue would be investigated, he concluded.

mds/ma

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