76pc of votes audited, recounted: Commission

KABUL) announced on Friday more than 76 percent of the votes cast in the presidential polls had been audited and recounted — a process that is smoothly moving well.

IEC spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor told reporters in Kabul 76.25 percent — or 17865 ballot boxes — were scrutinised as of Thursday evening.

Another 4,963 ballot boxes would be investigated in a week’s time if candidate agents, Afghan and international observers continued to cooperate with the commission, the official hoped.

Noor said the audit process, involving agents of the presidential runners, observers and representatives of the United Nations, was satisfactorily ongoing today.

The commission was determined to ensure accuracy in its work, conclude the audit in a transparent fashion and unveil the final election results as soon as possible, the spokesman continued.

“There will be no compromise on the public mandate; genuine votes will be fairly separated from bogus ones,” he promised, explaining the campaigns were informed of new developments and decisions through letters if they were not present.

On Thursday, the United Nations top diplomat in Afghanistan said completing the vote audit would not be possible before Sept. 2, when President Karzai wants his successor to be inaugurated.

Briefing Karzai on the audit’s progress, Jan Kubis believed bringing the massive exercise to an end would be difficult before Sept. 10. A rigorous and credible audit required time, he argued.

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