KABU (Pajhwok): Protesting Wolesi Jirga election candidates from 12 constituencies on their sixth day of protest on Wednesday demanded the creation of a special court to probe electoral offenses.
The candidates from Helmand, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Maidan Wardak, Paktika, Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Samangan, Herat provinces and the Kuchi constituency said they would not accept the Independent Election Commission (IEC) final results due to massive rigging in the October polls.
Shukira Paikan, a protesting candidate from northern Kunduz province, told Pajhwok Afghan News candidates who obtained less votes paid bribes to pave their way to the Wolesi Jirga.
She warned they would continue their protest until President Ashraf Ghani released a decree on creation of a special court to investigate electoral violations.
Farzana Farhmand, another protesting election runner from Baghlan province, said the final results were announced by those individuals who had been already introduced to attorneys over huge corruption and rigging and citizens would not accept their decisions.
She said, “The government and the electoral bodies have to introduce as winners the candidates who collected people votes instead of corrupt, bulling and traitor individuals.”
Sayed Farhad Akbari, another Wolesi Jirga protesting candidate from central Logar province, urged the creation of a special court to try those who won the election using bribes.
A number of other Wolesi Jirga losing candidates held similar views and warned if their demands were ignored, they would extend their protests and would close the Presidential Palace and electoral commissions.
The candidates in a resolution letter mentioned details about their removal from the final list and urged national and international electoral watchdogs to help them achieve justice.
The Wolesi Jirga elections were held on October 20 and 21 nationwide except Ghazni and Kandahar provinces. The elections in Kandahar were held a week later.
pk/ma