PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Protesting Wolesi Jirga candidates on Wednesday closed the Kabul-North highway in northern Baghlan province for an hour and set the election commission a 12-hour deadline to address their demands.
The protesting candidates and their hundreds of supporters staged a rally once again in Pul-i-Khumri city, the provincial capital.
Ajulaq Haqjo, a protesting candidate, told Pajhwok Afghan News they did not accept the initial results of the October Wolesi Jirga elections.
“We have twice staged rally in this regard, if the Independent Election Commission (IEC) does not address our demands within 12 hours and not recounts the votes, we will close the Slang pass.”
Azizur Rahman Sakhizadh, another protesting candidate, urged the IEC to start recounting the votes polled in the parliamentary elections.
A number of other protesting candidates expressed similar views and closed the Kabul-North highway for an hour against traffic.
However, Abdul Qahir Wahab Safi, Baghlan IEC head, told Pajhwok their work had stopped due to differences among candidates.
Safi said some candidates were demanding a recount of only biometrically cast votes while others wanted all votes to be recounted.
