Afghan Election Observers Raise "Serious Concerns" About Vote

VOA News

The main Afghan election observer group says the legitimacy of the balloting in Saturday's parliamentary election is questionable.

The Free and Fair Elections Foundation of Afghanistan says it has "serious concerns about the quality" of the elections, given the insecurity and numerous complaints of fraud.

The top United Nations diplomat in Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, told Reuters news agency it is too early to tell whether the election was a success.

The NATO-led international security force said it recorded more than 300 incidents of election-related violence.

Final results are not expected until October.

Ballots are still coming in from remote areas of the country.

The Afghan Election Complaints Commission said it has received reports of alleged irregularities: late-opening polling centers, ballot shortages, and voter registration fraud.

The commission has not yet announced a final voter turnout figure, but said late Saturday that 3.6 million people had voted. Nearly 6 million ballots were cast in the presidential election last year.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (in a statement) praised the voters for their "courage and determination."

U.S. General David Petraeus, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, also offered encouragement to the voters, saying the voice of Afghanistan's future "belongs to the people," and not to "violent extremists and terror networks."

The interior minister reports at least 22 people were killed in election-related violence across the country. And the head of the country's election commission said Sunday the bodies of three elections workers kidnapped in northern Afghanistan Saturday have been found.

More than 2,500 candidates were competing for 249 seats in the lower house of parliament, or wolesi jirga.

Preliminary election results are not expected until next month, with final results likely announced at the end of October after any complaints of fraud or misconduct are resolved.

Close to 300,000 Afghan troops and police, backed by international forces, provided security during Saturday's vote.