Afghanistan’s vote authorities on Sunday said they would not implement a special election tribunal’s ruling in favour of throwing out more than 60 lawmakers over alleged ballot rigging. The tribunal, set up to hear complaints over alleged fraud in last year’s parliamentary elections, ruled Thursday that 62 members of parliament (MPs) should have their victories overturned and be swapped with losing candidates.
But Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC), which would be in charge of implementing any such move, said it strongly disagreed with the ruling by the court, whose legitimacy it does not recognise. Some analysts accuse Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who ordered the setting up of the special tribunal, of using it to try and boost the number of his supporters in Afghanistan’s lower house of parliament, the Wolesi Jirga.
“Making changes in the election results… and particularly after the inauguration of parliament is in no-one’s authority and is against the country’s laws,” the IEC said in a statement. “The commission stands by its previous stance and no pressure or illegal actions would force it to step back from its decision.”