KABUL (Pajhwok): The Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) on Monday questioned the participation of 33 Wolesi Jirga candidates in the lower house inaugural session before obtaining their acknowledgment certificates from the Independent Election Commission (IEC).
The watchdog also criticised the announcement of final results from four electoral constituencies on the inaugural day of the lower house and said the move had raised multiple questions.
The IEC had announced the final results of the October parliamentary polls from 29 provinces and on the inaugural day of the lower house, the commission announced the results of three provinces and Kochi Constituency.
A source in the lower house secretariat, who wished to go unnamed, said the 33 lawmakers participated in the inaugural session because their names had been shared with the secretariat before they were declared winners.
But FEFA Executive Head Yousuf Rashid said an individual could be called a lawmaker or a member of the lower house when he/she received membership certificate from the IEC.
He said the announcement of the final results of the four constituencies simultaneously with the inauguration of the lower house raised different questions with election watchdogs.
“Just one day ahead of the final result announcement, IEC officials held a different view but due to political pressures they announced the results.”
IEC Deputy Spokesman Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi said the distribution of certificates to wining candidates from Midan Wardak, Baghlan, Kunduz and Kochi electoral constituencies had been postponed due to public holidays.
nh/ma
