Losers renew warning to disrupt oath ceremony

KABUL (Pajhwok): Failed provincial council candidates on Sunday warned to once again disrupt a planned oath-taking ceremony for winning runners in Kabul if their demands went unaddressed.

After being put on hold for seven months, final results from the April 5 provincial council elections sparked protests and fraud allegations by failed candidates in various provinces.

The previously planned oath-taking ceremony for Kabul PC members was slated for Nov 11, but it had to be cancelled due to protest demonstrations by nearly 300 people in front of the Governor’s House.

Mohammad Daud Asas, a lawmaker who lost his reelection bid, led today’s demonstration.

The Senator claimed he had evidence that some candidates paid 30,000 to 40,000 dollars in bribes to election officials in return for declaring them as winners through fraud.

He warned unless a special tribunal was created to investigate the issue, they wouldn’t allow the oath-taking ceremony to take place.

Daud claimed they had voice recordings of top IEC and IECC officials as evidence proving fraud.

Rafiullah Gul Afghan, another sitting senator, who lost his reelection bid, asked President Ghani and CEO Abdullah to intervene and solve the issue and warned they would block major highways.

Electoral officials deny their involvement in electoral fraud.

Some 10 losing candidates and dozens of their supporters took part in today’s protest in the Pashtonistan Square near the Presidential Palace.

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