Q: From your point view, what was the level of fraud in the September 18 Parliamentary elections?
A: In a country with as many problems as Afghanistan, no process can be run as properly as it should be. The IEC has already acknowledged that there were some shortcomings in the election process, but not at a level that would bring the legitimacy of the process into question.
We have received reports about logistical problems, fraud, and electoral abuses. But the IEC’s decision on the counting process shows that the body is making every effort to maintain the legitimacy of the elections. For the first time the IEC annulled ballot papers from more than 400 polling centers and recounted the votes from about 1000 polling centers. This shows that the IEC is committed to adjudicating the problems.
We are implementing the democratic process in a war-torn country, so we may face problems. But despite all of this, the IEC is making every effort to maintain the transparency of the election process. As a spokesperson for the IEC, I strongly insist that the problems that existed during the election process were not at a level that could destroy the process or bring its basic soundness into question.
Q: A number of unsuccessful candidates are not satisfied with the partial and preliminary results. They claim that their complaints are being ignored and they are asking for a new election. How will the IEC work with them?
A: The IEC treats all the candidates equally; there is no place for racism or discrimination inside the body. The IEC separated the fraudulent votes from the real ones last week. The IEC proved that it could handle any complicated process.
As you are aware, the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) will keep adjudicating the complaints after the declaration of the preliminary results. The candidates can submit their complaints to the body for adjudication.
Q: Do you think that the fact that fraud in last year’s presidential and provincial council elections went unpunished resulted in more fraud in the Parliamentary elections?
A: Undoubtedly, there were some problems in the previous elections that discredited the IEC among the people. The IEC is making every effort to regain its credibility. The IEC has introduced to the ECC those candidates who committed electoral abuses or did not submit their election expense reports. We are working on a list to identify the perpetrators. The detention of the head of the IEC’s sub-office in Khost is a good example of the strict measures taken by the IEC in this regard.
We are handing our responsibilities in the proper way: now it is up to the ECC to adjudicate the complaints. We hope that the judiciary bodies help the IEC and ECC in this regard.
Q: The IEC has said that more than 40 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the Parliamentary elections. But the results showed that even in Kabul, a province with more than 4.5 million people, some candidates succeeded with just 1000 votes. Doesn’t this mean that the turnout was very low?
A: The IEC worked extensively to make people aware of the value of elections. We conveyed our messages through mosques, schools and tribal elders to encourage people to vote. We published 11 million ballot papers and organized our logistics process very well. But due to insecurity and some other problems, the turnout was not at the level we had anticipated. We hope to have high turnout in future.
Q: Doesn’t the low turnout bring the legitimacy of the election process into question?
A: No, there is no correlation of turnout to legitimacy. Neither low turnout nor high turnout affects the legitimacy of the election process.
Q: The IEC has annulled the ballot papers of hundreds of polling centers. What are the criteria for annulling ballot papers?
A: The criteria for annulling the ballots are clear; for instance, forcing people to vote for a particular candidate, using fake voting cards and or extra marks on the ballot papers. Based on the abovementioned criteria the IEC annulled the ballot papers. No votes will be annulled unless they are determined to be fraudulent.
Q: The head of the IEC insists on separating fraudulent votes from real ones. Is there any mechanism for such separation and will it be practically possible?
A: The head of the IEC is investigating the votes and reviewing the ballot papers from all polling centers. He comes to the Data Center every day and observes the process of inserting the votes into the system. I am sure that he tries to do this to the best of his ability.
Q: Will perpetrators be punished? Have any perpetrators been introduced to the judiciary?
A: We try to collect evidence and documentation to show that a candidate or government official perpetrated fraud; after this we refer him/her to the ECC. It is up to the ECC to investigate and prove the allegations.
Q: Is the IEC contemplating any measures to reduce fraud in upcoming elections?
A: We have learned from our mistakes. Previous experiences made the IEC able to manage the election process itself. We received financial support from the international community for the September 18 Parliamentary elections, but the IEC was able to organize the process satisfactorily.
The current structure of the IEC is in line with Afghanistan’s situation. Having the IEC conduct the second Parliamentary is a good example of institutionalizing democracy and the election process in Afghanistan.
Despite everything, the IEC should focus on the following aspects for future elections:
First, all electoral bodies, civil society forums and the government of Afghanistan should make every effort to bring positive changes in the election law.
Secondly, the government and people should work together to overcome the current problems in elections.
Undoubtedly, we had problems in these elections but compared to previous elections, the adjudicating process was much better. In order to have free and fair elections, the cooperation of people, civil society and media is a must.
