Recount of provincial votes from Wednesday

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) on Monday said lack of cooperation from the main electoral body was the key factor behind a delay in announcing provincial council results.

Independent Election Commission (IEC) officials confirmed the provincial council results had been delayed, but gave no specific reason.

Presidential and provincial council elections were held on April 5, 2014. About 2,713 people, including 308 women, ran for provincial council seats. Based on initial results, 458, including 97 women, were declared successful.

IECC spokesperson Mohammad Nadir Mohseni said the recount of suspicious provincial council votes had not been completed in Kabul and Nangarhar.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News the recount was stopped for a while due to the audit of presidential ballots, but the process would resume on Wednesday. He blamed the delay on lack of cooperation from IEC.

Mohseni said they would not be able to complete the recount as long as the IEC did not facilitate access to ballot boxes from provincial councils in Kabul.

IEC spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor confirmed the provincial council vote recount in Kabul remained incomplete due to the audit of presidential ballots. But his commission cooperated with IECC in provinces.

Meanwhile, some provincial council members, have who set up protest camps before the Zarnigar Park in Kabul, urged the IEC to begin the vote recount on Wednesday.

One of them, Ali Yazdan Parast, complained the provincial council candidates’ protest had entered 74th day, but the authorities concerned were yet to address their demands.

“Our people enthusiastically cast their votes in favour of candidates of their choice, but some individuals have challenged the fate of the country,” he claimed.

A day earlier, there were only eight protesting candidates in the park. But Yazdan said more than 140 other runners had joined them.

“Those involved in fraud should be introduced to judicial organs and their names unveiled to the people through media outlets,” he demanded. 

Noor promised: “We will use all ways to ensure justice and rights of protesting runners. The commission is determined to ensure fair results.”

mm/mud

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