IEC terms IECC decisions on vote audit as vague

KABUL) on Monday termed the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC)’s decisions on vote audit and recount as vague and not stamped.

IEC Secretary Habiburahman Nang also acknowledged receiving IECC decisions and added the Commission would start work on these decisions from tomorrow (Tuesday).

Mohammad Reza Fayaz, IECC deputy spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the commission immediately sent a communiqué about its conclusions from the vote recount and audit with the IEC.

“The IEC later asked us to also send them our decisions and conclusions, and we sent them all our decisions and conclusions on Sunday,” he said.

However, the IEC said the conclusions sent to them by IECC were vague and needed correction.

Zabihullah Sadat, IEC acting spokesman, said, “The IECC sent us a copy of its conclusions which has not official stamp on it, the pages of the document are also merged (and vague).”

Sadat said they had asked IECC in a letter to provide clarification about its conclusions.

The IECC on February 5 asked IEC to carefully audit and recount votes of more than 1,400 polling stations and only recount votes of 298 other polling stations.

Based on IECC’s decision announced a few days ago, 10 percent of 137,000 votes were suspicious and 15 percent of 102,000 votes cast out of time would be audited to find whether the votes were valid or not.

The presidential election was held on September 28. Final result of the election is yet to be announced. Based on initial results, Ashraf Ghani secured more than 50 percent of the votes while Dr. Abdullah Abdullah secured over 39 percent of total votes.

mds/ma