President Hamid Karzai on Thursday backed a decision by Afghan election authorities to kick nine lawmakers out of parliament in a bid to end a vote-rigging row which has lasted nearly a year. The Independent Election Commission (IEC) made the ruling this week but it has so far failed to calm the long-running storm over alleged vote fraud in last September’s parliamentary elections. Its decision was rejected Wednesday in a vote by the lower house of parliament, the Wolesi Jirga, and prompted hundreds of angry protesters to take to the streets on Tuesday.
