Protesters Urge Cancellation of Votes

A number of protesters in eastern Herat province staged a demonstration on Thursday, calling for cancellation of all votes

Spoilers of the elections process should be brought to justice, the protesters said.

Torching their voter cards, protesters emphasised they will not participate in votes in Herat province again.

The protesters holding placards in Herat province are believed to be supporters of Mohammad Marouf Fazly who was disqualified in the primary results.

"The government should declare the election as invalid. The election was illegitimate. The President should nullify it," a protester told a TOLOnews reporter.

The protesters admired the Attorney General's Office for its action against electoral commissions. They also highlighted that justice organisations should seriously review the work of the electoral commissions.

Chief of Herat provincial council, Nazir Ahmad Haider Zada remarked that ignoring demands of people could possibly deteriorate the situation in Herat.

Meanwhile, twelve provincial candidates who were announced winners in primary results by the Independent Election Commission considered a delay in the announcement of final results of Ghazni province as an insult to the people in the province.

President Karzai had previously voiced concern about elections in the province.

President Karzai had said Ghazni candidates who will make their way to Afghan House of Representatives shouldn't be just from one tribal composition.

"At an atmosphere full of suspicion and distrust in our country, a delay in the announcement of final results of Ghazni province causes doubts," Abdul Qayum, a sitting MP told TOLOnews.

Demonstrations of candidates and their supporters caused the Kabul-Balkh highway, the key way that links Kabul with the north, to be blocked for days.

Also, Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) said on Thursday that from the beginning, parliamentary poll was faced with some challenges.

Some Afghan lawyers said final results of elections should have been declared completely according to Afghanistan's constitution.