Afghan elections 2014: Controversy surfaces in first phase of polls

Candidates disqualified for failing to meet requirements.

ISLAMABAD:

Afghanistan election panel’s decision to disqualify 16 presidential aspirants has led to much controversy as the candidates said they have been disqualified ‘without an explanation’.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said the candidates were disqualified because they failed to meet documentary or citizenship requirements. The commission said only 10 candidates managed to fulfil the requirements.

Afghan media reports said 661 candidates for provincial council elections have also been disqualified, while 2,395 candidates were declared eligible to run for the council polls.

The disqualified candidates have asked the IEC to substantiate its claim by Sunday. IEC’s decision surprised many in Afghanistan since most of the rejected candidates were part of President Hamid Karzai’s government and some served on senior positions.

Former defence minister and senior political leader Shahnawaz Tanai said those removed from the candidate list failed to meet the requirements of the election commission. Tanai’s party, People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, will also participate in the 2014 provincial council elections.

The list of rejected candidates includes former minister Dr Anwarul Haq Ahadi, Dr Farouq Azam, Hameedullah Qadri and some former members of the parliament. The list also includes a few former presidential candidates.

At a joint press conference in Kabul on Thursday, the disqualified candidates said they were unaware of the reasons for their ineligibility. The candidates said the election commission has the right to decide who is eligible and who is not, and but they have the right to know the reasons behind their disqualification.

Some independent politicians said the rejected candidates have sufficient time to challenge their disqualification as they have nearly two weeks to approach the polls complaint commission.

This time, all candidates have been required to deposit a fee of 1 million Afghanis ($18,000), provide signatures and voter ID numbers of 100,000 supporters from around the country.

The election commission has been criticised for discriminating between candidates. All successful candidates have been part of the government in the past 12 years, except Qutbuddin Hilal, a senior dissident leader of Hizb-e-Islami led by Hekmatyar. Hilal has been disowned by Hizb-e-Islami since he violated the group’s decision with his decision to contest the elections. Hizb-e-Islami sources said Hilal had been President Karzai’s guest for months, prior to submitting nomination papers.

Critics said the Karzai government is apparently not prepared to accept a person outside its narrow-based system.

A few warlords and human rights violators are still eligible to contest. The IEC will have to respond to complaints against some candidates accused of human rights violations. The commission said it will assess the complaints and if a serious case against any candidate is proved, his or her nomination would be rejected.

It will be difficult for the commission to lay hands on powerful warlords who have held top positions in the US-backed post-Taliban Karzai administration.

The five front-runners in the political battle include opposition leader Dr Abdullah Abdullah, former foreign minister Dr Zalmay Rasul, former head of security transition Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, politician Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf and the current president’s brother Qayum Karzai.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.