IEC officials also complicit in fraud, says candidates

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: Unsuccessful Wolesi Jirga candidates from Kabul renewed their call for invalidating all votes cast in the central province and asked the government to dismiss the election commission’s secretariat officials as well.

Numbering around 30, the disgruntled candidates told a press conference in Kabul that they would wage a protest movement “the nation’s fury” if their demands were not accepted.

One of the candidates, Obaidullah Barakzai, said there had been widespread rigging in the October parliamentary elections across the country, particularly in Kabul and not only the election commissioners, but secretariat officials were also involved in the fraud.

“We the protesting candidates demand the removal of Independent Election Commission secretary (Ahmad Shah) Zamanzai and other officials because currently these officials are trying to hide evidence and documents of their fraud,” he said.

Baraikzai played an audio clip which he claimed was of Khalil Safi who could be heard demanding $300,000 from Barakzai to ensure his victory in the election but Barakzai offered his three-room home and a car worth above $500,000. But the voice in the clip replies: “Dear Haji Wakeel sahib. I talked to them, but they are afraid no one should get informed, such things (home and car) are not accepted.”

Another protesting candidate Daud Kalkani said the president should sack and investigate the IEC secretariat officials because they were trying to do away with evidence of their crimes. (Pajhwok)