Violator candidates to be disqualified: Electoral body warns

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AT-KABUL: The Independent Electoral Complaints Commission warned it would drop the names of the parliamentary candidates who are still running their jobs in the government as well as those who try to prematurely start campaigns.

Large posters of some people who have registered for the parliamentary elections as candidates, are erected in different parts of Kabul city, with apparent messages and well wishes on the occasions of the Independence Day and Eid festivity.

Ali Reza Rouhani, spokesman of the commission called Monday on the candidates to step down from their jobs in the government, saying that it was illegal to campaign for election while holding government job.

“Those who have not yet resigned as government officials, while the law requires their resignation, they have deceived electoral commissions. Thus, they are not allowed for candidacy and will be disqualified from the final list,” said Rouhani.

Some candidates are still holding government posts, according to electoral monitors.

The commission also says those candidates who had prematurely started campaigns would be fined 100,000 to 150,000 Afs each person.

Meanwhile, Yousuf Rashid, head of the Free and Fair Election forum of Afghanistan, said that some of the candidates appear as analysts in the media discussion programs that according to him, was a law violation.

The legislative election is slated for October 20, and candidates can start campaigns 22 days before the election and finish it two days prior to that.

“Parliamentary candidates should have handed their resignation letters to the electoral offices. Some candidates are still having their positions in government that indicates election commission’s weak management of the parliamentary election,” Najibullah Ahmadzai, former head of election commission said.

The Independent Election Commission has also said it would disqualified those candidates who have not yet resigned as government servants.