Nuristanis want electoral reforms before July vote

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Dissatisfied with the parliamentary vote’s outcome, some residents of eastern Nuristan province on Tuesday warned not to participate in the July presidential poll if reforms were not brought to the electoral bodies.

The residents said the Wolesi Jirga candidates they voted for in massive numbers could not find their way to the parliament due to rigging.

Nuristan province has two seats in the Wolesi Jirga or lower house — one for men and one for women.

Javed Nuristani, a resident of Paroon, the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News that people’s favorite candidates were declared losers in the final results of the October elections.

He alleged the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) announced as successful candidates who paid bribes and rejected those who gained people’s votes.

He said: “A special tribunal should be created to try those who violated the law.”

Khairulllah, another resident, told Pajhwok the results had been changed at the electoral commissions central offices in favor of specific candidates.

Haji Subhanulllah Musleh, a tribal elder and resident of Doab district, told Pajhwok people risked security threats and went to polling stations but the electoral bodies played with their right.

Meanwhile, the provincial council chief and a number of other residents warned they would participate in the upcoming presidential election if graft-tainted election employees remained on their positions.

Eng. Saadullah Paindazoy, the PC head, told Pajhwok that residents of Nuristan province were disappointed over the Wolesi Jirga election results.

 He said if the same people remained at the Nuristan IEC regional office, a large number of people would not participate in the presidential ballot.

He added: “People are not happy because they voted under very hard situations and the results were against their expectations. Both IEC and IECC were involved in the rigging.”

Dr. Zahida Fiazan, a failed Wolesi Jirga candidate, she and all her supporters would not participate in the upcoming election if their demand was not addressed.

She said: “Before the announcement of Nuristan’s final results, the election commission told me that the results are not prepared yet, but an hour later, the results were announced.  If bribe is not taken, is this possible to prepare, implement, approve and announce the results within an hour?”

A number of other residents and people’s representatives expressed similar views and urged the government to bring changes to the electoral bodies.

Governor Hafiz Abdul Qauim told Pajhwok the electoral commission was an independent boy and they had no authority to interfere in their affairs.

Meanwhile, Baz Mohammad, Nuristan IEC acting head, said they were answerable to any complaints about electoral fraud.

He assured no rigging had taken place in the election process and that unsuccessful candidates often made such allegations.

pk/ma

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