KABUL (Pajhwok): A number of Wolesi Jirga candidates from central Logar province on Wednesday claimed their rivals colluded with election commission officials in changing election results in the province.
The Wolesi Jirga elections were held in 32 provinces on October 20 and 21 and a week later in southern Kandahar province. The Wolesi Jirga elections in Ghazni province is said to be held with presidential polls next year.
Around 20 Wolesi Jirga candidates from Logar province held a joint press conference in Kabul and complained their votes were falsified.
Pajhwok Afghan News also received the original copy of results of a polling station in Mohammad Agha district of Logar province as well as a copy of fake result of the same polling station. In the original form, a candidate has zero (0) votes, but in the fake form 200 votes.
Nasratullah Wafa, one of the protesting candidates, they had enough documents to prove their claims.
He said the October 20 and 21 elections were full of challenges and difficulties in the province and most of the people there did not vote due to insecurity.
He said: “Some powerful individuals by colluding with Independent Election Commission’s regional office employees tampered with election results in favor of some candidates and stuffed ballot boxes for them and no observer or candidate agents were allowed to enter the commission office.”
He did not name any candidate, but said boxes were stuffed in favor of three candidates.
“We will accept biometrically verified votes and the list of which was displayed on the election day,” he said, urging the IEC to transfer all ballot boxes from Logar to Kabul and separate clean and fraudulent votes.
Noor Zia Charkhi Yousufzai, another candidate, also confirmed the claims and said they would accept the lists of votes displayed on the election day. She said they would not accept fraudulent votes cast in favor of some candidates .
A number of other candidates expressed similar views and warned they would close the Kabul-Khost highway and launch a civil movement if their demand went unmet.
pk/ma