KABUL - Ballot boxes from the provinces will be transferred to Kabul to the Independent Election Commission (IEC) storage soon under the operations of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani-Ahmadzai, and the IEC welcome the transfer under the process of ISAF as well as the audits being completed by international auditors.
In a press release, ISAF stated that they are working in cooperation with the security and election officials to ensure the safety of the transfer and storage of the ballot boxes. According to the IEC, the audits will be conducted by international monitors on IEC premises.
"In general, the IEC had announced in the past that we are cooperative at any level," said IEC Commissioner Sarir Ahmad Barmak. "We will cooperate for completion of the process with the United Nation (UN) and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) in the audits of the ballot boxes."
The ECC has said to cooperate in the transfer of boxes and to have their observers in attendance during the audits.
"As per procedure, we will observe the process of the transfer of ballots from the provinces to Kabul and will also have our representatives present during the audits," said Nader Mohseni, IEC Spokesman.
Electoral teams of Abdullah and Ghani-Ahmadzai also welcome the transfer of ballot boxes under the direction of ISAF and its audits by international auditors.
"Based on some of the observations that the Reform and Integration Team had in regards to the commissions, the process will be audited by international observers and the ballot boxes will be transferred by ISAF instead of ANSF, which might follow some critics" says Abdul Ali Muhammadi, member of Ghani-Ahmadzai camp.
"The idea of ISAF transferring ballot boxes to Kabul is great news to the people of Afghanistan," said a member of Abdullah's camp, Muslim Saadat. "Based on the mechanism that both candidates have agreed on with the UN, all the votes will be audited, separating clean from fraudulent votes."
Ghani-Ahmadzai and Abdullah's teams emphasize that the audits of all ballot boxes by the national and international observers will be beneficial and will make the election process more credible to the people of Afghanistan. (Tolonews)