Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Observers Ask IEC to Maintain Neutrality

Observers Ask IEC to Maintain Neutrality

KABUL - Presidential and provincial council election observers asked the Afghanistan Independent Election Commission (IEC) to act neutrally and responsibly during the vote-count process on Thursday.

The observers added that people's wide participation and the presence of observers and media in the election process have contributed to ensuring less instances of fraud compared to last elections. The observers urge, however, that any negligence and imprecision in reviewing election complaints could take Afghanistan to crisis.

"There are concerns that any mistake by the election commission could lead to larger political crisis and devastate the country," former head of IEC Fazel Ahmad Manawi said. "Ignoring people's concerns could negatively impact Afghanistan and its neighbors."

"People trusted the process and voted," head of Free and Fair Election Association (FEFA), Nader Naderi said. "It is now the responsibility of the election commission, observing institutions and media to closely review and count the votes and maintain people's trust."

Analysts have stated that the 2014 election has witnessed few instances of fraud compared to the 2009 election--when over one million votes were casted fraudulently in favor of particular candidates. This has resulted in people's growing optimism about the election results. (Tolonews)