Disgruntled candidates warn on changes to court verdict

KABUL): Disgruntled former parliamentary candidates on Thursday warned against any changes to the special election tribunal verdict that disqualified 62 sitting members of the 349-seat parliament.

Last month, the special election tribunal, a panel of five judges tasked with investigating fraud in last year’s election, threw out the results for 62 races.

The verdict was rejected by both the independent election commission and the parliament as illegal.

Nearly 100 of the candidates who lost September’s elections held a gathering on Thursday asking for the court verdict to be implemented in letter and spirit.

Daud Sultanizoy, one of the candidates, said that no one, including the president, had the authority to challenge the special court’s decision or interfere into it.

On Wednesday, a group of lawmakers met with President Karzai about the election tribunal’s decision. Karzai told them that the election commission had prepared a six-article resolution to resolve the crisis.

Karzai said the two vice presidents, members of Supreme Court High Council, the head of the Constitution Oversight Commission, the justice minister and others would meet to look into the resolution.

But Sultanzoy said the election commission, in connivance with Karzai, wanted to manipulate the court’s decision. He warned that anyone interfering with the decision would face the wrath of people of the country.

Another candidate, Ahmad Wahid Tahir, said the independent election commission wanted to hide the blunders it had committed during the election. He warned if the court’s decision was altered, they would launch a violent protest movement.  He said all the disgruntled failed candidates accepted the court’s verdict.

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