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Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar on Tuesday said the voter registration process was being rigged and that there are more than five million ghost voters.  

Hekmatyar rejected the Independent Election Commission’s (IEC) tally that almost nine million people have registered to vote in the October parliamentary and district councils elections.

He said the actual number of people registered is around three million and that over five million are ghost voters.

Hekmatyar said the distribution of over 20 IDs to a single person, the easy access to stickers, and the transfer of registers to private premises were clear signs of fraud.

“The process which is ongoing is facing large-scale fraud, if it carries on in the same manner, the consequences will be very harmful and there will be a major outcry,” said Hekmatyar.

But IEC secretary Sayed Hafiz Hashemi rejected the claims and said the body did not bow to outside pressure.

“The commission has complete sovereignty in its decisions and it does not surrender to pressure by anyone and does not take suggestions from anyone, it decides independently; the statistics which are announced by the commission are authentic and transparent,” he said.

“I think a meeting had been planned (at the Presidential Palace) but the situation became tense between government and the political parties; parties then decided not to participate - neither their leaders nor their delegates. I hope that this comes to an end and the tension is resolved,” he added.

Hekmatyar defended the political parties and said their calls to participate in the elections were valid. He said their existence strengthened national unity in the country and that the president should respond positively these calls.

He also urged government leaders to resolve their internal disputes, and said government’s weakness and rifts between officials will have serious repercussions for the country.

Hekmatyar suggested that in order for the elections to be fair and transparent a biometric system needs to be rolled out for the voter registration process.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar said only about three million people have registered to vote and that the rest are ghost voters.

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Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar on Tuesday said the voter registration process was being rigged and that there are more than five million ghost voters.  

Hekmatyar rejected the Independent Election Commission’s (IEC) tally that almost nine million people have registered to vote in the October parliamentary and district councils elections.

He said the actual number of people registered is around three million and that over five million are ghost voters.

Hekmatyar said the distribution of over 20 IDs to a single person, the easy access to stickers, and the transfer of registers to private premises were clear signs of fraud.

“The process which is ongoing is facing large-scale fraud, if it carries on in the same manner, the consequences will be very harmful and there will be a major outcry,” said Hekmatyar.

But IEC secretary Sayed Hafiz Hashemi rejected the claims and said the body did not bow to outside pressure.

“The commission has complete sovereignty in its decisions and it does not surrender to pressure by anyone and does not take suggestions from anyone, it decides independently; the statistics which are announced by the commission are authentic and transparent,” he said.

“I think a meeting had been planned (at the Presidential Palace) but the situation became tense between government and the political parties; parties then decided not to participate - neither their leaders nor their delegates. I hope that this comes to an end and the tension is resolved,” he added.

Hekmatyar defended the political parties and said their calls to participate in the elections were valid. He said their existence strengthened national unity in the country and that the president should respond positively these calls.

He also urged government leaders to resolve their internal disputes, and said government’s weakness and rifts between officials will have serious repercussions for the country.

Hekmatyar suggested that in order for the elections to be fair and transparent a biometric system needs to be rolled out for the voter registration process.

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