Hundreds rally in Balkh against alleged election rigging

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Hundreds of supporters of presidential candidate and CEO Abdullah Abdullah on Saturday staged a protest demonstration in northern Balkh province against alleged fraud in the presidential election.

The Stability and Partnership supporters staged the demonstration in Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital, a day after Abdullah allowed the vote recount and audit process in the remaining seven provinces.

The protest emerged from the Firdasousi square in Mazar-i-Sharif and culminated at the eastern gate of Hazrat Ali Shrine.

Member of the Stability and Partnership team and second vice presidential candidate of Abdullah, Mohammad Mohaqqiq in his address to the rally said they would not accept fraud in the Oct 28 presidential election under any circumstances.

He said they believed in elections, democracy and freedom of speech and they would not bow to any pressure and fraud.

He said the government in 2014 came into being as a result of fake votes and stuffed ballot boxes and the people of Afghanistan would not accept votes which were not biometrically verified.

He said more than 300,000 votes were fake and should be cancelled, claiming their team had won the presidential election.

Stability and Partnership member and Junbish party spokesman Bashir Ahmad also addressed the protest rally. He said the people of Afghanistan once again showed on Oct 28 that they wanted democracy.

He said the Independent Election Commission did not care for people’s sacrifices on the election day and allowed the vote to be rigged.

Mazar-i-Sharif resident Abdul Haq told Pajhwok that people’s main demand was separation of clean and unclean votes.

He said the IEC should end the electoral crisis and announce the election result based on people’s real votes.

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