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As the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) nears the end of its probe and appeal process into parliamentary election candidates, the chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) called on all election management bodies to ensure candidates with links to illegal armed men, drug smuggling and land grabbing are prevented from running for parliament.

“We hope that justice is served and that those who have less influence are not dropped from the list and those who have links with illegal armed men and are smuggling are dropped from the list; decisions should not be made based on relations and the commissions should serve justice,” said AIHRC chairperson Sima Samar.

Fawzia Kofi, an MP from Badakhshan, Allah Gul Mujahid from Kabul and Kochi’s Shir Ali Ahmadzai are among 25 candidates whose names have been removed from the list.

But, Mujahid argues that he and a number of tribal elders and businessmen were issued licenses from the ministry of interior to keep weapons.

“I have got eight guns, wherever I go, my men are with me, two other guns are kept by my guards at home. But when an elder of the village or a businessman comes to me and asks for weapons, I get them the weapon, because I am their lawmaker, which part of this is illegal. The government does not have the capacity to provide us with security, so we have got weapons,” said Mujahid.

“The minister of interior said that lawmakers can have eight weapons, but they can not have extra weapons,” said MoI deputy spokesman Nusrat Rahimi.

The AIHRC has said that complaints have been reported against some candidates who are accused of having ties with terrorist groups, links with illegal armed groups and of committing other illegal acts.

The security institutions should cooperate with the election commission in order to make sure that these candidates are prevented from running the elections, said the rights body.

The AIHRC’s chairperson said there should be no nepotism allowed regarding decisions by the IECC in the probe into candidates.

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As the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) nears the end of its probe and appeal process into parliamentary election candidates, the chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) called on all election management bodies to ensure candidates with links to illegal armed men, drug smuggling and land grabbing are prevented from running for parliament.

“We hope that justice is served and that those who have less influence are not dropped from the list and those who have links with illegal armed men and are smuggling are dropped from the list; decisions should not be made based on relations and the commissions should serve justice,” said AIHRC chairperson Sima Samar.

Fawzia Kofi, an MP from Badakhshan, Allah Gul Mujahid from Kabul and Kochi’s Shir Ali Ahmadzai are among 25 candidates whose names have been removed from the list.

But, Mujahid argues that he and a number of tribal elders and businessmen were issued licenses from the ministry of interior to keep weapons.

“I have got eight guns, wherever I go, my men are with me, two other guns are kept by my guards at home. But when an elder of the village or a businessman comes to me and asks for weapons, I get them the weapon, because I am their lawmaker, which part of this is illegal. The government does not have the capacity to provide us with security, so we have got weapons,” said Mujahid.

“The minister of interior said that lawmakers can have eight weapons, but they can not have extra weapons,” said MoI deputy spokesman Nusrat Rahimi.

The AIHRC has said that complaints have been reported against some candidates who are accused of having ties with terrorist groups, links with illegal armed groups and of committing other illegal acts.

The security institutions should cooperate with the election commission in order to make sure that these candidates are prevented from running the elections, said the rights body.

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