Up to 700 Afghans marched through Kabul on Tuesday to protest against a decision by the country’s election commission to throw nine lawmakers out of parliament in a dispute over vote fraud. The protestors chanted anti-UN slogans and accused the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) of interfering in the process as dozens of riot police lined the streets, an AFP reporter said.
“Death to UNAMA which supported this evil process,” and “Death to those who oppose democracy,” the crowd shouted as it marched close to the presidential palace and the main UN compound. UNAMA welcomed Sunday’s decision by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to dismiss the nine lawmakers, saying a “long institutional impasse” had come to an end following last September’s parliamentary election.
