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Grievances From Disqualified Candidates Persist
[Tolo News] Following weeks of uproar against election organizers, recently disqualified Presidential candidates continued their criticisms on Saturday and appealed to the international community for help in preventing the interference of Afghan officials in the election process.Since the Independent Election Commission (IEC) released the preliminary list of candidates two weeks ago, hopefuls who were cut and civil society groups as well have accused the IEC of flawed methodology and malfeasance. All of 17 of the Presidential contenders eliminated by the IEC and around 400 Provincial Council candidates filed challenges with the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) this week in hopes of being reinstated to the final list expected to be released in mid November. On Saturday, a number of candidates launched further accusations against the IEC as they await decisions on their appeals from the ECC. Some said they believed the IEC's disqualifications stemmed from a pre-ordained scheme cooked up with the involvement of officials inside the current government looking to influence to spring vote. "The Independent Election Commission, without informing the 17 candidates, removed us for the preliminary, which was against the law and was a planned decision," said Daoud Sultanzoy, a disqualified Presidential election candidate. The IEC claimed that many of the cuts made were a result of candidates filing nomination with invalid voter cards, which they were required to provide a certain number of to prove they had a minimum support base. Others, the Commission said, were a result of cases of dual-citizenship. However, if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... those candidates who were not approved claimed the findings of the IEC were wrong, and likely contrived. Salman Ali Dost Zada, another Potential Presidential Candidate who didn't make the IEC's cut, called on the international community to step-in and prevent public officials from meddling in the election process. "We want the international community to not let the special commission at the Presidential Palace use helicopters and stuffed voting boxes in the name of the elections, but forced on the people," he said referencing reports of electoral improprieties observed during the Presidential election in 2009. With the history of fraud and other flaws in elections in Afghanistan, many anxious about the integrity of the upcoming vote, which is considered especially pivotal given President Hamid Maybe I'll join the TalibanKarzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtunface on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... won't be running and NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization.... coalition troops are expected to withdraw at the end of next year. Some fear President Karzai will look to hand-pick a successor by manipulating to election process. But regardless of who may be behind the improprieties, the credibility of the spring elections is the foremost concern of officials and the public. "The Independent Election Commission created problems for the Presidential election candidates by removing them without careful investigation, candidates could threaten the credibility of the election process," said Ahmad Dawar Nadi, another disqualified Presidential hopeful. ECC officials have tried to gain back some lost ground on the transparency front. Just days before beginning their two-week review of complaints and challenges, the ECC Commissioners announced that they would be conducting the entire process in the presence of media, civil society groups, political parties and election monitors from the international community. Nevertheless, many of the disqualified candidates were not happy with the ECC gave their challenges this week. And they were not alone, as the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) spoke out advocating the Complaints Commission allocate more time to each disqualified candidate's challenge that was originally afforded. "The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) investigation is not satisfactory for the candidates and they must start investigating all the documents of the disqualified candidates," Sultanzoy said. "Otherwise, we will continue our campaigns." The ECC has suggested changes would be made to the final list of candidates scheduled to be announced on November 16, some of which are expected to be cuts of candidates who made the preliminary list as well as maybe some reinstatements for those who did not. "Due to problems in the database of the Independent Election Commission, some of the candidates were prevented from making the preliminary list," explained ECC front man Nader Mohseni. "Some of those candidates might make it to the final list of candidates." Posted by: Fred 2013-11-10 |
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