The mammoth task of auditing eight million votes cast in the second round of Afghanistan’s presidential election will restart on Saturday, the electoral commission said today, but disputes still hang over the process. Allegations of mass fraud have cast doubt over the outcome of the vote that aims to transfer power democratically for the first time in Afghan history before most foreign troops pull out at the end of the year. A US-brokered agreement to audit all ballots defused a crisis this month, but the process has stalled three times since and the candidates have yet to agree on how to disqualify votes.
The audit stopped last weekend because of technical differences, and the suspension was extended due to the Eid al-Fitr holiday this week.
The United Nations today asked both candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, to fully engage in the process, warning against further delays.
“Any delays, any uncertainties, have a major, negative impact on both the political and economic situation in Afghanistan,” said Jan Kubis, the top UN official in Afghanistan. “It’s high time to complete the process of the elections.”
Full Article: Troubled Afghan election audit gets green light, but disputes remain | World | The Malay Mail Online.