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| Afghanistan |
| Observers Emphasize Fraud Investigations |
| 2014-07-09 |
| [Tolo News] Afghanistan's biggest observer groups on Tuesday called for full investigation of electoral fraud cases by the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), and urged the presidential candidates to remain patient until the final results are ready. The comments from the observers came a day after the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced preliminary results of the June 14 runoff election, which gave Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai a sizable lead over Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... . However, alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... Abdullah's team has said they will reject the results provided by the commission unless fraud is completely weeded out. "Yesterday a great weight was put on the shoulders of the Electoral Complaints Commission," said Mohammad Yousaf Rashid, the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) Executive Director. "The commission has a responsibility to investigate all cases of fraud." The ECC has assured the public that it will investigate fraud and quash any concerns about the issue. "From today, we are prepared to investigate all concerns and complaints that exist regarding the fake votes," ECC front man Nadir Mohseni said on Tuesday. In addition, the IEC has announced that if the two candidates reach a consensus, the IEC would be prepared to reassess a larger portion of the polling sites. Despite being heavily favored by the results so far, Ashraf Ghani's campaign team has expressed openness to a broader vote audit. "We agree with any decision taken by the IEC, the election commission is a legal and central body, if this body decides to invalidate half of the votes in Afghanistan, we do not have the right to disagree with the decision," Ghani team memberAssadullah Saadati said. However, alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... Abdullah's team, which remains estranged from the election commission since it accused top election officials of working in cahoots with the Presidential Palace to rig the election, has asked for the international community to have a role in the vote auditing. "We want, in the first step, for 11,000 polling sites to be isolated, and later on, to be investigated in the presence of the UN, European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... and Reform and Solidarity team," said Hajji Mohammad Mohaqeq, Abdullah's Second Vice President. Meanwhile, ...back at the pond, Gloria slowly backed away from the eight-foot bull frog. If the creature croaked she would surely be deafened... in Kabul, residents remain wary of the simmering tensions between the opposing camps, and hope to see the election dispute resolved soon. "Fraud has been committed on a large scale, it should be investigated seriously, otherwise, we do not accept the election results," one Kabul resident named Homayoun said. "Tensions do not settle the issues, Afghanistan could be pushed into crisis, so candidates must resolve the issue with patience," Kabul resident Wali Rahman said. So far, it the rival candidates have failed to agree on the terms of an expanded vote audit by the IEC. While Abdullah's camp has demanded the reassessment of 11,000 sites, Ghani's camp has agreed to only 7,000. For now, the ECC will push on with its investigations, and if the candidates want anymore inquiry into potential fraud, they'll have to find something to agree on. |
| Posted by:Fred |