IEC ready to answer Abdullah’s demands: Noor

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Independent Election Commission on Friday affirmed its willingness to answer presidential runner Dr. Abdullah’s demands within the legal framework.

At the same time, the panel reminded the candidates of their written commitment to accepting decisions of both electoral commissions.

Abdullah on Thursday reiterated the electoral commissions’ decisions were unacceptable to his camp. He blamed President Hamid Karzai, the IEC and IECC for the deadlock.

But IEC spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor told reporters in Kabul they had responded in writing to Abdullah’s demands for stopping the vote count and suspending the commission’s secretary.

However, he firmly ruled out a halt to the ballot-tallying process. Copies of the IEC letter to Abdullah have been sent to election-supporting international organisations based in Kabul.

The vote count was routinely being watched by domestic and international observers, Noor explained, saying 90 percent of ballot boxes and other sensitive materials had been shifted to the commission’s head office.

The runoff election’s preliminary result would be announced after two days, he said, adding that the commission’s assessment of seven million people participating in the polls was a prediction.

While asking both candidates to wait for the results, Noor said the commission’s independence and autonomy had been guaranteed in the constitution. He once again stressed respect for people’s mandate.

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