The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Thursday rejected a decision by the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) on invalidating Kabul votes.
 
In a declaration issued by the IEC it stated the decision to invalidate Kabul votes was illegal and a politically-motivated decision.
 
"This decision was hasty, unrealistic and political,” said IEC commissioner Sayed Hafiz Hashemi.
 
“Invalidating all votes of Kabul means disregard and disrespect of the efforts and the sacrifices on the day of elections,” IEC chief Abdul Badi Sayyad said.
 
“The election commission rejects the baseless, political and hasty decision by the electoral complaints commission on invalidating the votes of Kabul and considers the decision a deal on the votes of Kabul people,” said Hashemi, quoting the IEC declaration.
 
IECC's Declaration On Kabul’s Parliamentary Elections
 
The IECC officials said the decision was taken on the basis of the prevailing laws of the country following reports of widespread fraud and electoral crimes.
 
The IECC also slapped 100,000 AFs cash fine on at least five members of the IEC over what it described as poor leadership and weakness by these officials in the electoral process.
 
But, the IEC hit out over the decision and declared it unacceptable.
 
“Based on the evidence and documents, all votes cast on October 20 and 21 in the Kabul electoral zone are invalid,” said IECC spokesman Ali Reza Rouhani. 
 
“Thirteen types of electoral crimes were recorded, which makes 1,311 cases... Large-scale fraud happened in Kabul,” said IECC chief Abdul Aziz Aryayee.
 
Those discharged by the IECC are:
 
Awalurrahman Rodwal, former head of Kabul election department
Ezmarai Qalamyar, former head of IEC operations in Kabul
Abdul Aziz Samim, deputy head of operations for IEC
Sayed Ibrahim Sadat, head of IEC’s IT department 
Ahmad Shah Zamanzai, head of the IEC secretariat
 
“This is a final decision, there are also some other provinces where problems exist, not less than Kabul, and we will decide on those, once assessments are wrapped up,” said IECC member Humaira Haqmal.
 
“This is a hard decision, but the law has given this authority to the electoral complaints commission,” said Naeem Asghari, member of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan.
 
So far the IEC has announced election results for 20 provinces.