Candidates from southeast demand audit of all votes

KABUL candidates from Paktia, Khost, Paktika and Logar provinces on Sunday held a meeting in Kabul and demanded a recount and scrutiny of votes cast in the Oct 20 elections.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) conducted the long-delayed elections to the Wolesi Jirga or lower house on October 20-21 in 32 provinces and a week later in southern Kandahar province.

The IEC has announced initial results from 30 provinces but the results from Kabul, Baghlan, Paktia and Kuchi constituencies are still awaited.

Mohammad Siddique Ahmadkhel, a candidate from Paktia province, alleged the parliamentary polls in his province were massively rigged.

He complained government officials especially district administrative chiefs and police chiefs, had not been impartial and worked in favor of specific hopefuls on the election day.

He said they would not accept the preliminary results and demanded a recount of the votes.

Atiqullah Urgoni, another protesting candidate from Paktika, said the elections were in the province were full of rigging which involved powerful individuals. He said candidates who bagged more votes had criminal cases against them.

Ghazi Khan Ahmadzai, a candidate from Logar, accused the provincial IEC office of registering votes in polling centers where no voting had happened.

He said he had submitted documents and proofs regarding his claims to the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission.

“I have documents to show how strongmen in some districts stole ballot boxes and stuffed them in favor of specific candidates,” said Abdul Wali Wahidzai, who spoke on behalf of others from Khost province.

He said he had handed over videos of rigging to the IECC.

The candidates urged the president to prevent corrupt people from finding their way to the Wolesi Jirga.

Homaira Haqmal, IEC deputy head, said last week that 50 to 100 percent changes would come in the primary results after audit.

sa/ma