South candidates vow only to accept biometrics-based results

Monitoring Desk

KANDAHAR: Protesting Wolesi Jirga candidates from Helmand, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces held a gathering in southern Kandahar province to jointly push for the acceptance of only biometrically verified votes cast in the Oct polls.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) conducted the long-delayed elections to the Wolesi Jirga or lower house on October 20-21 in 32 provinces and a week later in southern Kandahar province.

The protesting candidates from Helmand, Zabul, Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces and their supporters participated in the protest gathering in Kandahar City. The protesting candidates had already shut the IEC regional’s office since they were announced as losers in the initial results.

Hamdullah Nazak, a candidate from Kandahar province, urged the president and the IECC to thoroughly investigate rigging in the elections. He said they would not accept the results because all votes except biometrically verified were bogus.

Shabir Ahmad Qauimi, another unsuccessful candidate, expressed similar views and asked the government to give them their right.

He said election was a national process and those who rigged the process should be brought to justice.

He claimed the Wolesi Jirga elections were systematically rigged in Kandahar province and the votes should be rechecked carefully. He accused electoral personnel of negligence and making deals and urged their investigation.

A number of other protesting candidates from the southern zone expressed similar views and said they would never accept non-biometric votes.

According to the initial list, Haji Sayeed Ahamd Khadem has bagged 8,186 votes, Mahmood Khan Nasrat 7,041 votes, Rohullah Khanzada 6,471 votes, Gul Ahmad Kamin 5,082 votes, Mohammad Omar Sherzad 4,497 votes, Sayed Ahmad Selab 4,143 votes, Eng. Mohammad Arif Noorzai 3, 976, Fareba Ahmadi Kakar 4,965 votes, Malalai Ishaqzai has collected 2,900 votes and Arezo Safi 1,848 votes. However, the Kandahar IECC says they have received 130 complaints after the announcement of the preliminary results. (Pajhwok)