KABUL (Pajhwok): Protesting women candidates on Saturday locked themselves inside cages atop two vehicles and traveled through Kabul roads a few kilometers.
The 12 women from various provinces launched their protest three months back against fraud and rigging in the October Wolesi Jirga elections. They set up tents at the gate of the Presidential Palace but police removed their tents.
They want the government to meet their demands and investigate rigging by a special court but their demands are yet to be met.
Today, the failing candidates chained their hands and imprisoned themselves in cages and carried symbolic coffins of “Law” and Democracy” for several kilometers in Kabul City.
Dewa Nizai, a candidate from Nangarhar province, said nobody approached their lawful demands during the past three months.
“We have decided to take these two symbolic coffins to the Presidential Palace gate but we may face resistance from the gate’s guards,” she added.
Arezo Safi, another protesting candidate from Kandahar province, criticized police for not allowing them to hold a sit-in and said: “for this reason, we have to wear black clothes and tie our hands with chains.” She warned of continued protest until their demands were met.
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has already said that addressing demands of the protesting candidate was the responsibility of the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) as the IEC had announced the final results of all provinces on the basis of IECC decision.
But the IECC has not yet commented about the issue of these 12 candidates.
Sa/m