Violations

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) on Wednesday said it had recorded 11,000 incidents of fraud, irregularities, militant threats and closure of polling stations during Saturday’s elections.
The watchdog released a report, saying it observers had noted 9,500 cases of electoral fraud, including 2,600 of a serious nature. It said people’s participation was beyond expectations, but there had been election law violations.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Tuesday said it would take serious legal actions against the police officials found involved in electoral fraud.
A day earlier, some running mates of presidential candidates accused police officials of meddling in Saturday’s presidential and provincial council ballot.
The interior ministry’s spokesman, Sediq Siddiqui, told a news conference in Kabul so far 14 police officials had been arrested on charges of violating the election law.

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): One presidential runner’s campaign manager in southeastern Paktia province on Tuesday accused local officials of meddling and ballot-stuffing in favour of a specific candidate.
Gul Padshah Majidi, in charge of Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai’s campaign in Paktia, told journalists an official of the governor’s office had forced election workers into ballot-stuffing.
He alleged police chiefs of some districts had violated the election law. In utter disregard of their duty, the local authorities connived at election law violations, he claimed.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) on Tuesday said it had started investigating complaints from last weekend’s presidential vote.
IECC Secretary Nader Mohseni told a news conference in Kabul 3,103 complaints had been registered with the panel until Monday night, the deadline for reporting fraud and any other irregularities.
Roughly half of the complaints would be investigated because the rest received over the telephone lacked supporting evidence and would be used for information purpose only.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) on Monday reiterated no candidate would be allowed to grab power through vote fraud.
IECC officials held out the assurance at a meeting with running mates of some presidential contestants in Kabul. Issues concerning a shortage of ballot papers and ballot stuffing were discussed.
Interference by government officials and campaigning beyond the deadline were among the complaints raised by vice-presidents, IECC officials added.

SHIBERGHAN/BAMYAN (Pajhwok): Officials of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Saturday torn apart posters of provincial council runners glued on the polling station building in central Bamyan province.
While posters of presidential runners in northern Jawzjan province were still pasted on polling station’s building, with the IEC official said was a stark violation of election law.

KABUL (Pajhwok): Officials on Wednesday said some presidential runners and 40 provincial council hopefuls are yet to pay their due taxes to of Kabul Municipality for installing their campaign posters and billboard in different points of city.
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf, Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Qutbuddin Hilal are among presidential runners yet to pay their due payments to the municipality.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The electoral watchdog on Tuesday fined presidential runners Gul Agha Sherzai and Zalmai Rassoul for violating the Election Law during their campaigns.
At an emergency meeting, the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) decided 10 complaints, including three against Zalmai Rassoul.
IECC Chairman Abdul Sattar Sadat said the objections against Rassoul pertained to the use of official resources in his electioneering.

KABUL (Pajhwok): Three senior police officers were suspended on charges of interference in the elections process, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said on Monday.
Addressing a news conference here in Kabul, MoI Spokesman Siddique Siddiqui said reserve officer Lt. Gen. Mirza Mohammad Yarmand was among those suspended.
The suspension came on the basis of complaints from presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. Yarmand was accused of backing a specific candidate in northeastern Badakhshan province.

CHAGHCHARAN (Pajhwok): Local commanders and their gunmen are forcibly collecting voter cards from residents of western Ghor province, residents said on Monday.
However, local officials promised stern action would be taken against those snatching cards from people or forcing them to vote against their choice.
Residents claimed Mullah Mustafa in Shahrak and Mullah Fazal Ahad in Dolina districts had warned them not vote against their choice.