‘Some candidates trying to buy election observers’

A number of election observers on Sunday claimed rejecting money offered by candidates in return for working in their interest.
They feared Wolesi Jirga candidates could possibly pay money to election watchdogs for using them in their own interest.
However, officials say many election watchdogs may not be tasked with observing the Oct 20 parliamentary elections due to a reduction in international community’s financial assistance.
Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) head Yousuf Rashid told Pajhwok Afghan News that the policy for election observation had already been prepared, but it remained unclear how much personnel an election observer should have for observation.
He said foreign election observers were not financially and technically assisted enough as compared to the past —- a reason they would hire a small number of staff for the upcoming elections.
About concerns that candidates may offer money to election observers to hire their supporters in their teams, Rashid said: “Some candidates approached us and asked us to give them our personnel credentials for observing elections, they told us they would also pay money to the personnel who would report both to the FEFA and to the candidate, but we rejected it.”
“Undoubtedly, we are worried that some observing institutes may sell their personnel, one candidate told me to grant him 200 FEFA personnel and he would pay their salaries, but I rejected. Then he told me another election observing institute has agreed to his offer,” he said, without naming anyone.
According to Rashid, the presence of unprofessional watchdogs, discriminatory behavior and business interests had damaged the credibility of election observations, with questions arising from the public about electoral fraud.
Habibullah Shinwari, the Afghanistan Election and Transparency Monitoring Program director, also said it was feared some candidates could use election watchdogs in their own interest.
However, he said his organization sought two commitment letters from members before being appointed that they should not have a link with any candidate or membership of any political party.
Shinwari also said their members in Kabul and regional offices had been made the same offer, but they had rejected it.
Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan (TEFA) spokesman Sughra Sadat said each election watchdog appointed observers in line with their financial position and their organization might hire a small number of observers due to the decline in foreign aid.
She also confirmed there were concerns some candidates might use election watchdogs in their own interest.
Meanwhile, Independent Election Commission (IEC) spokesman Sayed Hafeezullah Hashami said police, NDS personnel and candidates’ observers would cooperate with each other for the sake of better observation.
He said they had a mechanism based on the law and those trying to do illegal activities on the election day would be introduced to the judicial organs.