KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan’s top election authority on Thursday rejected a ruling by the Electoral Complaints Commission that fraud and mismanagement had rendered invalid the votes cast in Kabul, the capital, during last October’s parliamentary election.

Afghan men line up to cast their votes during the parliamentary election at a polling station in Kabul, Afghanistan October 21, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

The standoff between the two bodies charged with organising and managing the election highlighted the chaos around a ballot seen as a major test of Afghanistan’s democratic progress that had been heavily pushed by international partners.

“The ruling by the complaints commission is a political, sentimental, unrealistic decision and is not based on credible evidence,” Gulajan Abdul Badi Sayyad, the chairman of the Independent Election Commission, told a news conference.

“We strongly reject the ruling by the complaints commission.”

The ballot, held on Oct. 20 after months of wrangling and delay, was marred by accusations of voter fraud, technical problems with biometric voter verification gear and inaccurate voter lists.

“There were serious outstanding problems in Kabul that could hurt the fairness, transparency and inclusiveness of the election,” Ali Reza Rohani, a spokesman for the Electoral Complaints Commission, said on Thursday.

With more than a million votes recorded in Kabul, or about a quarter of the nationwide tally of roughly 4 million, cancelling the vote there would call into question the validity of the whole election.

The recommendation to cancel the vote in Kabul also fuels uncertainty over the April 20 presidential election, which election authorities have said they are considering postponing until July, due to organizational difficulties.

Any delay to the presidential election could affect hoped-for peace talks with Taliban insurgents, who have opened contacts with the United States but have so far refused to talk to the government of President Ashraf Ghani.

Authorities have still not released complete results from the Oct. 20 parliamentary ballot, dogged by delays that pushed voting into the following day.</s>Afghanistan's Electoral Complaints Commission ruled on Thursday that votes cast in the capital Kabul during last October's parliamentary election were invalid, citing fraud and mismanagement. The ruling must be upheld by the Independent Election Commission, the body with overall authority over the ballot, which was marred by allegations of voter fraud, technical problems with biometric voter verification equipment and inaccurate voter lists.

"There were serious outstanding problems in Kabul that could hurt the fairness, transparency and inclusiveness of the election," said Ali Reza Rohani, spokesman for the Electoral Complaints Commission.

More than a million votes were recorded in Kabul, accounting for about a quarter of the roughly 4 million votes cast nationwide. If confirmed by the IEC, the decision would call into question the validity of an election heavily pushed by Afghanistan's international partners.

The recommendation to cancel the vote in Kabul also adds to uncertainty over the April 20 presidential election. Election authorities have said they are considering postponing the vote until July due to organizational difficulties. Any delay to the presidential election could affect hoped-for peace talks with the Taliban, which have opened contacts with the United States but so far refused to talk to the government of President Ashraf Ghani.

Authorities have still not released complete results from the Oct. 20 parliamentary ballot, which saw chaotic delays that forced voting to continue into the following day.</s>Afghanistan's Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) on Thursday announced that all votes cast in Kabul in the country's Oct.20 parliamentary elections were invalid due to the widespread charges of irregularities and fraud recorded in the voting.

"The votes cast in the Kabul province on 20-21 October are invalidated under the directions of the Election Law,” Ali Reza Rohani, a spokesman for the IECC, told a press conference in Kabul.</s>All votes cast in Kabul during the October parliamentary election are invalid, Afghanistan's Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) has declared.

There were 25 reasons why the decision was taken, including major fraud and mismanagement on the part of the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC), IECC spokesman Alireza Rohani said.

Parliamentary elections took place in 32 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces on October 20. Due to security problems and organisational difficulties, voting took place in 400 constituencies a day later.

In the province of Kandahar it was delayed by a week after a deadly attack on the provincial chief of police.</s>MOSCOW : All the votes cast in Kabul during the October parliamentary elections have been declared invalid by the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC), local media reported Thursday.

According to the TOLOnews broadcaster, the votes were nullified because of fraud that was detected in the city.

Media also noted that there were concerns on the part of several observers over alleged fraud in the electoral process.

Parliamentary elections took place in Afghanistan on October 20 and became the first such elections in the country since 2010. In 2016, the election was postponed over the country’s unstable security situation, as various militant groups, including the Taliban and the Islamic State (terrorist group banned in Russia), continued to carry out regular.</s>KABUL (Pajhwok): The Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) on Thursday announced invalidation of votes cast at all polling stations in Kabul due to fraud and rigging.

Addressing a press conference, IECC spokesman Ali Reza Rohani said the decision was taken after a comprehensive scrutiny by regional officials of the commission in Kabul. He added the IECC discussed the invalidation of votes in the October 20-21 elections in Kabul.

Under Articles 2, 5 and 94 of electoral law and based on the documents and proofs produced, the votes cast in Kabul were declared null and void, the spokesman explained.

IEC Secretary Ahmad Shah Zamanzai, former head of Kabul election affairs Awal Rahmand Rudwal, operational head of regional office Zamarai Qalamyar, his deputy Abdul Aziz Samim and IEC information technology chief Syed Ibrahim Sadat have been dismissed and fined 100,000 afghanis each over violations of the electoral law.

Rohani told reporters criminal cases against the election officials are being reviewed and the results would be announced as soon as possible. Those who caused the situation that led to invalidation of votes would be investigated at the earliest possible, he promised.

Rohani claimed all members of IEC agreed with the decision and signed it. However, the commission has announced the preliminary results from 21 provinces so far.</s>KABUL -- Afghanistan’s Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) has declared that all votes cast in Kabul Province during the country’s October parliamentary election are invalid.

IECC spokesman Alirez Rohani told reporters in Kabul on December 6 that the decision was made because for 25 different reasons -- including major fraud and mismanagement by the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC).

He said hundreds of complaints were filed about voting irregularities in the Afghan capital and surrounding areas of Kabul Province.

A spokesman for the Afghan election commission, Mohammad Haqparast, told RFE/RL on December 6 that the IEC was preparing to issue a statement "soon" in response to the invalidation of the votes.

At least 18 people were killed and 67 injured by a series of bomb attacks close to polling stations in Kabul during the October 20 vote.

Technical issues that marred the vote and caused some polling stations to be closed included missing biometric systems and the non-arrival of voter registration lists.

Lawmakers who represent Kabul Province have 33 of the 250 seats in Afghanistan’s lower chamber of parliament – the Wolesi Jirga.

All of the lawmakers are directly elected. There are 68 seats reserved for woman under Afghanistan’s constitution.

The election originally was scheduled for October 2016 but was postponed until July 7, 2018 -- and then postponed again until October 20 when voting took place in 32 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.

Even then, security concerns and the organizational difficulties set back voting by another day in 400 constituencies across the country.

In Kandahar Province, voting was delayed by another week due to a deadly attack on the provincial police chief, General Abdul Raziq, on October 18.

Voting in Ghazni Province has still not been completed.

About nine million Afghans were registered to vote at 21,000 polling stations across the country. They included about 3 million women.

More than 54,000 security forces were deployed to protect polling stations across the country.</s>All votes cast in Kabul during the October parliamentary election are invalid, Afghanistan's Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) announced on Thursday.

The IECC cited 25 reasons for annulling the results in the capital, including fraud and mismanagement during the conduct of the October 20 poll. The Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) has not commented.

Read more: Why are Afghan officials not announcing election results?

More than a month since the vote official results from the election have only been anounced for only 14 of Afghanistan's 33 provinces, casting a shadow over the credibility of an election process that was marred by violence and allegations of fraud.

The invalidation of votes in Kabul comes as Afghanistan prepares for presidential elections in April amid a deteriorating security situation and nascent talks between the United States and Taliban to end the 17-year war.

More to come...</s>Canton Alderwoman and former Police Chief Vickie McNeil and five others are charged with voter fraud in Madison County involving the 2017 Canton municipal election.

McNeil, 68, is charged with four counts of voter fraud, said Maj. Chuck McNeal of the Madison County Sheriff's Department.

The indictments were served early Thursday. Voter fraud carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

McNeil served as police chief from 2009 until 2013. When she was a candidate for reelection for alderwoman, McNeil is accused of assisting two voters with filing absentee ballots, a violation of state law.

Also indicted for voter fraud were:

Courtney Rainey, a Canton Public School Board member. Rainey, 38, is charged with 12 counts of voter fraud, two counts of conspiracy and one count of intimidation of witness to commit fraud.

Donnell Robinson, accused of voter fraud and voting by an unqualified person as an habitual offender.

Jennifer Robinson, accused of voter fraud and voting by an unqualified person.

Desmand King, a deputy clerk for Canton, accused of two counts of voter fraud.

Sherman Matlock, 44, accused of two counts of voter fraud.

Madison County Assistant District Attorney Bryan Buckley said an investigation began after the 2017 Canton city elections after complaints from citizens.

Buckley said more indictments could be coming.

“We anticipate another round of voter fraud cases being presented to the grand jury in the near future,” Buckley said in an email to the Clarion Ledger.

In 2014, Cobby Williams, a former candidate for Canton alderman in 2013, was given a five-year suspended sentence for submitting a false voter registration application on behalf of a convicted felon.

Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest said then that Williams knowingly submitted the voter registration on behalf of the woman although she had told him she was ineligible to vote because of a felon conviction.

In Mississippi, individuals convicted of certain felony crimes are prohibited from voting. Some of the crimes include embezzlement, forgery, bribery, burglary, theft, arson, perjury, bigamy and false pretense.

District Attorney Michael Guest says in a news release Cobby Williams allegedly was going door-to-door in March of 2013 and registering people to vote and then turning in those registrations to the clerk’s office.

He says Williams registered a woman who is a convicted felon and not eligible to vote.

Guest says Williams recently pleaded guilty to one count of voter fraud. Williams also was placed on five years’ supervised probation.</s>Afghanistan's election complaints body has declared October's parliamentary elections invalid for the capital Kabul and surrounding areas.

 

 According to the Afghanistan Independent Election Complaints Commission, the decision is based on a determination that the elections in Kabul province were marred by massive fraud and violations of election law. 

 

 In a news conference in Kabul Thursday, the Commission also announced the removal of five of the top officials of the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan, the body responsible for holding the elections.

Ali Reza Rohani, the spokesman of AIECC said the five officials, which included the head of the Election Commission Ahmad Shah Zamanzai, were fined about $1,333 each. He said further action may be announced against these officials in the coming days. 

 

 Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi, a spokesman for Election Commission said the IEC will soon announce its position on the AIECC decision. 

 

 Parliamentary elections in Afghanistan were held in October. Kabul province has 33 seats, including nine seats for women, in the 250-member Afghan assembly.
Afghanistan’s Electoral Complaints Commission declares all votes cast in Kabul Province to be invalid due to voter fraud and other cases of mismanagement.