KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Some Wolesi Jirga candidates in southern Kandahar province on Sunday alleged the parliamentary ballot was massively rigged in the province and that they would not accept votes without biometric verification.
The candidates also demanded the central government dispatch an authorized delegation for inspection of a recount of all Kandahar votes.
Tens of Wolesi Jirga candidates attended the press conference in Kandahar City to raise their demands.
Candidate Mualvi Noor Mohammad Aqa said the people public hoped that elections in Kandahar would be more transparent after the weak-long delay but unfortunately the extra time was used for systematic rigging on the election day.
He alleged 10 to 15 candidates had struck deals with Independent Election Commission (IEC) staff and police who adopted different means to give these candidates advantage in elections.
He demanded the government dispatch a powerful delegation to inspect and recount all Kandahar votes.
Another candidate Shabir Ahmad Qayyumi said elections were a national process and those who committed rigging were national traitors.
He alleged the elections in Kandahar were systematically rigged and demanded strict monitoring and inspection of the votes.
He accused election officials of negligence and making deals and demanded their trial. He also demanded invalidation of non-biometric votes.
IEC head for Kandahar Niamatullah Wardak, while referring to the allegations of candidates, said these claims were nothing but a waste of time.
He said they had acknowledged technical problems during elections and even rigging in some cases, but complaints had been registered which would be investigated in line with the law.
He said the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) had launched work on addressing complaints.
A few days back candidates in Kandahar did not allow inspection of vote recount at some polling stations.
nh/ma

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