Dozens of Afghan MPs unseated by a special election court investigating allegations of fraud and irregularities have threatened to call for protests, including blocking the country’s roads.
“If the special court is not absolved, we will call our constituencies to the streets and the president will bear responsibility for what might happen,” Haji Zahir Qadeer, an MP from Nengrahar province, told reporters.
A special election court set up by Afghan President Hamid Karzai unseated 61 members of the Afghan parliament – a quarter of the lower house – including its deputy speaker on claims of fraud. The parliament has been in session for more than four months.
Sediqullah Haqiq, the head of the tribunal, said it had found evidence of fraud in 33 of 34 Afghan provinces. He called the court’s ruling “final.”
“Those parliamentarians who won seats in parliament through electoral fraud and violation must be prosecuted,” he said.
“If fraud is prevented, that is a good thing because people will believe rule of law exists,” Saira Sharif, a member of the parliament from Khost province, told Al Jazeera.
“But one questions the manner in which it has been done. Even if the debate over the legality of the special court was settled, why are they announcing the results four months after the parliament opened?”
Full Article: Unseated Afghan MPs threaten protests – Central & South Asia – Al Jazeera English.
