Abdullah’s camp warns of protests if demands ignored

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Reform and Unanimity team, led by presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, on Friday warned of nationwide protests if its demands were ignored.

While alleging brazen irregularities in Saturday’s runoff election, Abdullah has called for a halt to the vote-tallying process and suspension of the election commission’s secretary.

Members of his team’s political committee told a news conference in Kabul they would not recognise the election result if the Independent Election Commission (IEC) failed to answer their demands positively.

One of them said: “If the commission continues to tally ballots unilaterally in the absence of our observers, the result will be illegitimate and unacceptable to us.”

He alleged the administration of outgoing President Hamid Karzai and the IEC had indicated their plots to create a political deadlock in the country.

“On the Election Day, our observers were roughed up and detained by armed individuals. Ballot-stuffing was committed in favour of our rival,” he claimed, without giving details.    

On Thursday, Abdullah reiterated that the electoral commissions’ decisions were unacceptable to his camp. He blamed Karzai, IEC and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) for the log jam.

Abdullah said the international community, as Afghanistan’s partner in the electoral exercise, should see to it that global aid was spent properly and the polls conducted in a transparent manner.

On Wednesday night, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan regretted the ex-minister’s expression of no-confidence in the electoral commission and his call for a halt to vote count.

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