Protesting candidates call for removal of IEC officials

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: About 15 unsuccessful Wolesi Jirga candidates and hundreds of their supporters on Tuesday closed four gates to Kabul, seeking invalidation of votes cast during the parliamentary polls in the capital.

The candidates, along with their 350 supporters, blocked the road with containers in Qala-i-Mirdad area of Shakar Dara district north of the capital city, urging the dismissal of corrupt election officials.

Lutfullah Qureshi, one of the protesting election runners, told Pajhwok Afghan News about 200 candidates had established an association. They had closed all the four entrances to Kabul for traffic, he said.

He denounced the October 20-21 polls in the Kabul constituency as full of rigging. He also supported the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC)’s decision on the invalidation of all Kabul votes.

Earlier, the IECC had announced invalidation of votes cast at all polling stations in Kabul due to fraud and rigging. However, shortly after the announcement, the IEC rejected the IECC decision as hasty and politically motivated.

Talking on behalf of others, Qureshi called for the removal of election commissioners and placing them on the exit control list. The protesters warned of continued demonstrations if their demands were not met. (Pajhwok)