KUNDUZ CITY (Pajhwok): Wolesi Jirga candidates in northern Kunduz province on Sunday accused provincial election commission officials of their involvement in fraud on the election day and demanded a recount of all votes.
The candidates held a protest gathering in Kunduz City, the provincial capital, and demanded a transparent vote recount before election results were announced.
One of the candidates, Abdul Ghafor Hotak, accused the election commission’s provincial head of electoral fraud and said they wanted a serious investigation into the fraud in Kunduz.
He said the elections were massively rigged on the Election Day and there was enough evidence to prove it.
Wolesi Jirga candidates no longer trusted the government, election commissions, the justice and criminal departments, particularly the attorney office and all votes in Kunduz should be recounted, he said.
Marzia Rustami, another protesting candidate from Kunduz, provided evidence about frauds at 17 polling sites.
She said the candidates were right in their claims and real votes should be separated from fraudulent ones.
“A number of candidates committed rigging in Imam Sahib district on the Election Day, we request judicial organs to take action against these people and corrupt election commission officials,” she added.
On the other hand, Abdul Qodus Zarifi, another Wolesi Jirga candidate, also said election commissions’ heads should be introduced to attorney’s office.
He warned the government of staging protests if their demands were not implemented.
Ending the meeting, the protestors in their resolution letter asked the government to identify those behind closing polling stations on the Election Day, rigging and casting votes without biometric verification.
Mohammad Rassoul Omar, head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) for Kunduz, said no one was allowed on the election day commit fraud and they had supported people’s votes.
“We will not allow anyone to become a lawmaker with fraudulent votes, we have no right to recount votes, if the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) permits we can do it,” he said.
Kunduz IECC spokesman, Mohammad Seddiq Samim, said those claiming fraud in elections should share evidence otherwise their allegations would be ignored.
