Abdullah, Ghani supporters warned over racism

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Electoral Media Commission (EMC) on Wednesday asked both the frontrunners in the June 14 presidential runoff elections to stop fueling differences among voters on ethnic lines.

EMC, which is charged with monitoring media reporting on electoral campaigns, accused campaign teams of both Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani of fueling ethnic tension.

Hashmatullah Radfar, the commission’s deputy head, said campaigners loyal to the runners had been observed fueling racism.

He said such speeches, also aired on TV channels as advertisements, could fuel ethnic tensions across the country.

He said the coverage of election related programmes was the right of every media outlet, but no one was allowed to broadcast issues that could fuel ethnic problems.  

He said some media outlets acted in accordance with the law but others did not maintain their impartiality during the electoral process.

Radfar warned media outlets would be dealt with under the Constitution if they violated the law, suggesting the media to remain impartial.

mrh/ma

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