Closing roads no solution, Sayyad hits back at protesters

KABUL) Chief Gulajan Abdul Badi Sayyad on Tuesday hit back at protesters and said closing roads over alleged electoral fraud was not a solution and urged them to use legal means for meeting their demands.

Addressing reporters in Kabul, Sayyad asked the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission to quickly address complaints relating to the Kabul Wolesi Jirga election results, through which the final result could be announced.

He said in order introduce reforms, 120 new positions in the commission in capital Kabul and provinces had been announced and eligible candidates could apply.

He also asked security institutions to pay proper attention to the security of election bodies and their employees.

About 15 unsuccessful Wolesi Jirga candidates and hundreds of their supporters on Tuesday closed four gates to Kabul, seeking invalidation of votes cast during the parliamentary polls in the capital.

The candidates, along with their 350 supporters, blocked the road with containers in Qala-i-Mirdad area of Shakar Dara district north of the capital city, urging the dismissal of corrupt election officials.

nh/ma