Candidates campaigning before time be disqualified: TEEFA

KABUL (TEEFA) on Thursday called the ongoing voter registration process as ‘unsuccessful’, saying presidential candidates who launched campaigns earlier than official time should be removed from the list.

Sughra Saadat, TEEFA programs manager, told a press conference here that a number of presidential candidates had launched their election campaigns ahead of the scheduled, something she called against the law.

“Presidential candidates have practically launched their campaigns and they even insult each other in their statements, which is against the electoral law, election commission also does not take any action on the regard, they should be fined and removed from the list according to the law,” she said.

However, she did not name any candidate.

On the other hand, Saadat said the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) should immediately to reveal the results of the voter registration process and take action for prevention of earlier campaigns.

She said the Independent Election Commission (IEC) had the plan to register two million voters, but it failed to do so due to security problems in the country and low awareness provided to people.

About the short time remaining to go for the presidential election, she said, “We seriously ask the international community to clarify whether their priority is peace or election or both would go together.”

This comes as UNAMA deputy head during a visit to southeastern Paktia province on Thursday said that both election and peace process would go simultaneously.

mds/ma