AFGHAN OFFICIALS released the results of parliamentary elections yesterday, but the long-awaited announcement appeared to satisfy no one, with protesters blocking roads and the attorney general announcing an investigation into alleged widespread corruption by electoral authorities.
There was a stony silence from President Hamid Karzai, who fears that the electoral hammering of the majority Pashtun community could worsen ethnic tensions.
More than two months after Afghans went to the polls, the independent election commission (IEC) announced results for all but one of the country’s provinces and declared the vote a “major success”.
The IEC disqualified 24 preliminary winners for irregularities – almost one in 10 of the contenders for the 249 seats in parliament. It also invalidated some 1.3 million of the 5.6 million votes cast.
Protesters and failed candidates took to the streets carrying banners to demand the election be annulled. Roads were blocked in some parts of the country.
The attorney general, Mohammad Ishaq Alako, a Karzai appointee, is threatening to investigate the IEC, alleging that commissioners attended meetings in Dubai where they accepted bribes to favour some candidates.
The opposition leader, Abdullah Abdullah, said the election had been deeply flawed and that some supporters had been unfairly disqualified. The political complexion of the next parliament is still unclear. Mr Abdullah said he believed that he would eventually lead a coalition of around 90 MPs – a huge step forward in forging a united front against the president.
Pashtuns, who have traditionally held sway in Afghanistan, will make up only a minority of MPs. The prospect of disenfranchisement among Pashtuns, who also account for the vast majority of Taliban members, is a cause of deep concern for Mr Karzai.
( Guardianservice)