A group of protesting candidates of parliamentary elections, who gathered outside the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) in Kabul on Wednesday, called on the judicial body to investigate electoral fraud and corruption in the parliamentary polls.

The candidates said the final results of the parliamentary elections should not be announced.

“We have submitted documents and evidence to the Attorney General’s Office and now have come here to raise our voices for justice to make sure accurate investigation will take place,” said Marzia Ahmadi, a protesting candidate. 

“They (AGO) has confirmed that we cannot assess these documents and evidences even in 10 years, because there are huge documents and evidences. Thus, they want to make a political decision in this regard and we do not support such a decision,” said Humayun Humayun, a protesting candidate. 

The protesting candidates accused the former election officials of committing “national treason”. 

“They have damaged this national process and should be recognized as national traitors,” said Mohammad Khan Sulaimankhail, a protesting candidate.

“The Afghan government has disrespected democracy, the international community, and the Afghan nation. If the AGO dose not take proper and law-based actions, it will also lose its reputation,” warned Amanullah Paiman, a protesting candidate. 

The Attorney General’s Office, meanwhile, said corruption and fraud allegations against the former members of the election commissions are under investigation. 

“Based on Article 134 of the Constitution, the Attorney General’s Office has an obligation to investigate the allegations related to electoral crimes. If the evidences are to the level of electoral crimes, then the allegations will be investigated by the Attorney General’s Office,” the AGO spokesman Jamshid Rasuli said. 

The candidates have protested as the election commissions have new heads and members. 

The new commissioners sworn in on March 04, replacing 12 former commissioners. 

On Tuesday, the AGO banned five former members of the election commissions in relation to the allegations made against them.   

According to the AGO, the five individuals include Ahmad Shah Zamanzai, former head of the secretariat of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Awalurrahman, former head of the IEC operations, Abdul Aziz Samim, deputy head of the operations, Sayed Ebrahim Sadat, head of the IT department of the IEC, and Ezmarai Qalamyar, head of IEC’s field operations.