Afghanistan’s Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) said on Sunday it would most likely miss the deadline for adjudication of complaints registered following the announcement of preliminary results from September 28 presidential vote.
According to the law, IECC is expected to complete adjudication of complaints within 15 days which will end on coming Thursday.
Zuhra Bayan Shinwari, IECC chairwoman, told a press conference in Kabul on Sunday that the process would possibly take more time and the panel would miss the deadline, citing abundance of complaints.
More than 16,500 complaints were lodged following the announcement of the long-delayed preliminary results on December 22.
The complaints have been placed in 16 different categories, most of which (6,881) are about difference between biometrically verified votes and result sheets.
Moreover, 3,727 complaints suggest electoral crimes while 4,303 complaints suggest electoral violations.
The commission has also classified the complaints in four categories considering their potential to change the results. 8,794 complaints have been placed in the category.
IECC chairwoman also said that 39 complaints were about missing of results sheets, 36 about editing in results sheets after counting process, 1,338 about suspicious votes, 29 about biometric system, 1,380 complaints about unjustified votes, four about siding of IECC officials in recounting process, three about recount process without presence of observers and 1,209 about other crimes.
Afghanistan’s presidential elections were held on September 28 last year, but it final results have not been declared so far. The Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced preliminary results on December 22, almost two months after the poll was held, but some electoral teams, especially the team led by incumbent CEO Abdullah Abdullah, refused the outcome, calling it fraudulent. The team boycotted the recount process and his supporters closed IEC’s offices in at least seven northern provinces to protest what they called fraud-marred results. After a few weeks closure, the team supporters allowed IEC staff to carry out the recount, but stressed they would not accept the fraudulent result under any circumstances.
