Monitoring Desk
KABUL: Some Kuchi tribe Wolesi Jirga candidates said warned of launching a protest movement if alleged rigging in their constituency was not investigated.
Some 30 Kuchi candidates made the warning at a press conference in Kabul.
Inaytullah Sehrai, a Wolesi Jirga candidate from the Kuchi constituency, said they had handed over evidence of fraud and rigging to the government in order to separate fraudulent and transparent votes, but instead fraudulent votes were increased.
He said they had evidence that 17 people were registered as voters in the Panjwai district of southern Kandahar province, but 160 votes were cast there on the election day.
He said 305 individuals had registered themselves in Spin Boldak district but 371 votes were used there —— a clear incident of rigging.
According to him, if the government, particularly the electoral commissions, did not address their demands, they would launch a movement and erect tents in front of the Presidential Palace and the Independent Election Complaints Commission (IECC) in Kabul.
Another Kuchi candidate Sayed Mohammad Hariq from Kandahar province, told the press conference that they had shared rigging evidence with the government two and a half months back, but they received no response in this regard so far.
He added a few days ago, the IECC held a judicial hearing where representatives of the two sides were present and it was proved rigging had taken on the Election Day.
He said they also handed over a vice clip to the IEC, in which Qais Hassan, a sitting Wolesi Jirga member, could be heard telling the provincial IECC’s head Karimullah Stanikzai that don’t invalidate his brother Mirwais Hussiankhel votes and Nangyal Lawang votes. “In response Stanikzai told him they had received money from Lawang, but from you is awaited.”
He warned the electoral complaints commission of staging countrywide protests if it announced election results from the Kuchi constituency without considering their evidence about fraud.
Pajhwok Afghan News tried to seek comment from the IECC regarding the voice clip and evidence, but failed.
The Kuchi candidates in a joint statement said not a single vote had missed biometric verification in the Kuchi constituency, so non-biometric votes from their polling stations should be cancelled.
It said massive rigging happened in the Kuchi constituency and powerful individuals stuffed ballot boxes in their favor.
The statement urged the IEC and IECC to introduce those involved in rigging and fraud on the election day to judicial organs. (Pajhwok)
