The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) on Friday called on the international community, the two presidential candidates and the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to approve the vote invalidation criteria that remains un-finalized and continues to delay the auditing process.
The ECC has stressed the importance of moving forward to implement an agreeable vote invalidation criteria as soon as possible. “In for the election crisis to be settled and the challenges facing the elections overcome, the criteria must be approved as soon as possible so that the results of the vote auditing process are clear and the auditing process find its way,” said Walid Akbar Sarwari, Deputy of the ECC Secretariat.
Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai’s camp has assured that they have agreed to the invalidation criteria proposed by the United Nations (UN) over a week ago, and have faith the auditing process will be executed well. Ashraf Ghani’s team also emphasized the importance of observers during the vote audit.
“We have started the process, the process has its own accepted system, it is not a bread that we put it on someone’s mouth with spoon or with force, we maintain the right to participate in the process as observers, if we don’t participate we don’t have used our rights, no one could give us our right with force and with spoon,” said Dawoud Sultanzoi, the head of Ghani’s technical team.
Abdullah Abdullah’s campaign has said the criteria remains unfinished because their recommendations have not yet been integrated into the UN proposal. However, they said that negotiations are underway and they are confident that the UN will consider their input.
“In consideration of our talks with the representatives of the international community, which I had over the last few days, I am confident that they will pause on it and will not ignore our recommendations after their assessments,” said Ahmad Bashir Farooq, a member of Abdullah’s team. “If they ignore us, then the responsibility is there’s.”
The vote auditing process will commence again on Saturday, after breaking for Eid and resolution to the criteria debate.