IEC asks candidates to let it complete vote recount

KABUL) on Tuesday sought time from presidential candidates to let it complete the vote recount at 8,000 polling stations, reiterating that only biometric votes would be considered valid.

Hawa Alam Nuristani, IEC chief, told a press conference here that only votes of biometric devices would be counted as valid.

She said the commission has ordered recounting of votes at 8,255 polling stations in different provinces in order to tell apart between fraudulent and clean votes.

“This process started in 20 provinces of the country on November 9 and has ended in Badghis province”, she said, adding that some presidential candidates had complained about the recount process in 14 provinces.

According to reports, presidential candidates Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Rahmatullah Nabil have boycotted the vote recount process and called for a halt to the process.

However, Nuristani said such reactions from the presidential hopefuls was worrisome and might lead to delay in announcement of the primary election result.

The IEC previously had said that it would announce the primary result on November 18 and final result on December 6.

About the fate of votes under recount, the IEC chief said a decision about the votes would be taken after the recount and audit process was completed.

She said those who had committed election fraud and acted in violation to the law would be introduced to judiciary organs.

“We respect public votes, national interest and dignity of Afghanistan, we hope you will let us complete the vote recount process,” she said.

Nuristani asked all people, particularly candidates, to let the commission recount votes so that fraudulent votes were separated.

mds/ma

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