The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) on Thursday completed the final phase of its open investigation process for complaints filed regarding this year’s Provincial Council elections in nine central provinces.
3,000 Provincial Council complaints were filed with the ECC in total. Those from Kabul, Logar, Wardak, Parwan, Panjshir, Bamyan, Ghazni and Daikondi provinces, adding up to some 600 complaints, received their last public review on Thursday.
A number of objecting candidates from Kabul province promised they would continue their protests until justice is served.
“We want there to be electoral justice, if justice is not realized, there could be an electoral crisis,” Ali Yazdan Parast, an objecting provincial candidate from Kabul said.
“250 ballot boxes were recounted, rigging happened in the same boxes and candidates with higher votes have received them from the same boxes,” another protesting candidate from the capital named Shekiba Saifi Kamal said.
Protesting candidates from other provinces also submitted complaints to the ECC, but were unclear about their future.
“In some polling centers, fraud continued for long hours and votes were rigged in favor of a particular candidate,” a protesting candidate from Ghazni province named Zholina Faizi said.
“The evidence that exists against polling centers in Logar province requires that ballot boxes be recounted, so that every one has his right,” Abdul Wali, a provincial candidate form Logar province said.
The ECC has tried to assure the candidates and the public that all legitimate complaints will be fully investigated, and warned that there could be a delay in the announcement of the findings.
“All complaints that are received by the ECC will be investigated,” ECC spokesman Nadir Mohseni said on Thursday. “We are trying to announce the results of the investigations on time and send it to the election commission, but there is the possibility of a delay.”
Based on the elections timeline, the Provincial Council complaints investigations are expected to be completed by June 12, and final decisions on the complaints handed over to the election commission.