Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah’s electoral team released an audiotape that claims to be the voice of President Hamid Karzai’s second Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili, on Sunday.
Addressing the press at a conference in Kabul, a member of Abdullah’s electoral campaign Nusratullah Baryalai Arsalayee announced the reinvestigation of votes as dramatic and stressed that his team raised voice only to protect the credibility and legitimacy of the votes cast by the people under fragile security situations.
“We believe the auditing process was just a 'drama',” Arsalayee said. “Our protest does not mean we want the outcome of the election to favor us. We want the fake votes discarded.”
He said that the international community and the U.S. must clarify its stance with regards to the elections in Afghanistan and “should not pursued a double standard policy.”
In addition, Arsalayee said that his team has more evidence against government officials who were involved in electoral frauds, but stated that they do not want to broadcast it for whatever reason.
“We have more proof, but we choose not to televise them. Hence, today's evidence should be a lesson to the government,” Arsalayee asserted, claiming that all evidence collected and presented by the Abdullah camp is genuine.
“There are valid national and international institutions that can provide credibility of our evidences.”
In response to Abdullah’s teams’ allegations of VP Khalili’s involvement in electoral fraud, an official member from Khalili’s office said live in Kabul that the audiotapes released by the ‘reform and solidarity team’ is fake and has no link to the second vice president.
Part of the tape says that efforts are underway to ensure victory of particular team in the elections and also the president, election management bodies and international community support this. But office of Karim Khalili has announced the tape fake.
Simultaneously with the release of audio tapes related to officials of election commission and a number of governors, but in a new tape released by Abdullah team, Abdullah Abdullah electoral team claim that in the tape the second vice president in a meeting with members of his party and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai’s second vice runner mate, he congratulates the victory to him.
In part of the tape, it has been said that our negligence in the first round has affect our political status and it must not be repeated.
“I demand that by pursuing a wise and accurate Jihadi move, take part in the second round of elections and compensate the negligence and tragedy of the first round and use all resources and equipments in support of the desirable team, Inshallah victory will be in favor of your team and the victory will be in favor of your desired candidate,” part of the tape says.
The tape also says that efforts are underway for support of a particular candidates in the elections
“I have had some discussions with the president of Afghanistan and also contacts with international friends, our international friends have promised to us that with using all available sources and by using all kinds of opportunities, efforts should be made in favor this team even if these opportunities and tools are against electoral mechanisms,” the tape says.
This comes at a time that the vote auditing process was started with some hours delay on Sunday despite the absence of Abdullah team.
Member of Abdullah camp has said that with the release of these tapes and access to the documents which show the involvement of high ranking government officials to frauds, people must give their judgment about the outcomes of the elections.
“The triangle of presidential palace completed, it comprises the election management bodies, rival team and the presidential palace, we chanted many times that they were involved in frauds,” Arsalayee said.