Interview with Jandad Spinghar, Executive Head of Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan

Q. How many irregularities have been recorded by Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) in the September 18 Parliamentary Elections?

A. The Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan, with the support of 7,000 impartial monitors, was able to monitor approximately 60 percent of all polling centers in Afghanistan.

FEFA monitors have recorded violations and irregularities in various provinces of Afghanistan. Violations and irregularities include threats, technical failures, multiple voting, fake voting cards, ballot-box stuffing, etc. A detailed report of violations has been posted on FEFA’s official website.

Q. What kind of irregularities did you record and who was responsible for them?

A. There were various kinds of irregularities, including: men voting for women, children voting, fake voting cards, multiple voting, interference by candidates and staff of the Independent Election Commission in the voting process in at least 280 polling centers, and ballot-box stuffing. Most of these incidents occurred in the provinces of Badakhshan, Daikondi, Ghor, Helmand, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Laghman, Logar, Wardak, Paktika, Urozgan, and Zabul.

The perpetrators of these violations are mostly those elements with links to illegal armed groups, and some are currently commanders of these groups. They stole the peoples’ votes.

Q. In your opinion, how was the turnout, especially among women?

A. In general, and considering the security situation of Afghanistan, the turnout was low. In the areas where the armed opposition threatened people and carried out attacks, the turnout was extremely low. 

However, in some insecure provinces, there were areas where the turnout was higher. For instance, in Jaghori district of Ghazni province, which is relatively insecure, the turnout was higher than in last year’s presidential election. Also, prior to the election, there were concerns about the possibility of low turnout in Helmand province, but contrary to these concerns, FEFA monitors reported remarkable turnout in Helmand.

In general, high turnout was reported in the North and East of the country. The provinces of Badakhshan, Bamian, Laghman, Daikondi, Takhar and Nangarhar witnessed the highest turnout in the country.

But women’s turnout was low. For example, no woman participated in the election in Paktika province. In my view, the reason for this low turnout was insecurity as well as traditional problems. For instance, some women did not vote because of the presence of male staff members in the polling stations.

Q. The lower of house of parliament has asked the IEC to separate fraudulent votes from real ones.  In your opinion, is this technically possible?

A. Of course there are some legal ways to do this. For example, the IEC has the authority to recount or quarantine suspicious votes before it announces the preliminary results.

In this round of the elections, the media published a lot of documents about fraud. The Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission can use these documents and also the documents that candidates, monitors, and other people involved in the election have produced regarding fraud.

But it is very important that both commissions carry out their duties precisely, independently and based on justice.  

Q. FEFA is an important election oversight organization; in your opinion, how were the parliamentary elections compared to last year’s presidential election?

A. The numerous violations and irregularities reported in last year’s presidential and provincial council elections upset people, resulting in a loss of trust in this year’s elections.

It would be premature to compare the quality of the parliamentary election to last year’s presidential election. This can be done after the all reports about violations and fraud have been adjudicated. However, all the investigations and analysis must be done according to international practices, and the ongoing challenges and crisis in Afghanistan must be considered.

After the preliminary and final results are announced, then we can judge whether or not the parliamentary elections were successful.

Q. Do you believe that Electoral Complaints Commission will be able to adjudicate all the complaints without bowing to internal and external pressures?

A. These elections are vital for the destiny and future of Afghanistan, as elections are one of the mainstays of democracy. I hope the ECC considers the importance of this essential and sensitive stage, and strongly rejects any kind of national or international pressure.

Also, the president and the government of Afghanistan must consider this issue seriously, because there are some powerful candidates who will try to influence the process. The government must not allow these violators to influence the adjudicating process. Also, we expect the IEC and the ECC staff to do their jobs based on considerations of ethical and Islamic norms.

Q. As the head of the Free and Fair Election Foundation, what recommendations do you have for conducting free and fair elections in the future?

A. FEFA has some specific recommendations in this regard:

1. FEFA strongly asks the president and other governmental bodies to take strict measures against violators and those elements who have committed fraud based on the Electoral Complaints Law, and to support the transparency and legitimacy of elections.

2. FEFA asks the IEC to support the ECC in finding out and adjudicating complaints. FEFA asks the ECC not to bow to any kind of pressure and to adjudicate all the complaints precisely.

3. Also, FEFA asks the international community to reject all violations and fraud that have been committed in the parliamentary elections and to support Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission.