KABUL - The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said on Saturday that 67 percent of the ballots cast during the presidential runoff had been audited and the process would be completed in 10 days, an official said on Monday.
IEC spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor told journalists in Kabul that 629 ballot boxes had been recounted and scrutinised a day earlier by 1,319 national and international observers.
He said the audit was proceeding satisfactorily, with 280 teams working in two shifts. So far 15,145 ballot boxes, involving 66.4 percent of all votes, have been reviewed.
Putting the total number of ballot boxes at about 23,000, the IEC spokesman said the rest of over 7,680 would be audited in the next 10 days. “We are trying to conclude the process as early as possible so that a new government is installed.”
In response to a query, he said a large number of ballot boxes had been audited and the final results would be announced in 10-11 days. But differences between representatives of both candidates could slow down the process, he warned.
Noor went on to say 6,611 checklists and vote sheets had been inserted into the system, with 3,633 checklists and tables about to be finalised, he added. Vote tables and checklists are finalised after they go through eight stages. The vote invalidation process would start on Monday.
Speaking on behalf of Reform and Unanimity team, Zahir Aghbar, said the vote audit was proceeding well. But some problems seen at certain warehouses had been shared with the commission, he pointed out.
He identified empty ballot boxes and fake result sheets as one of the problems, saying: “We hope the IEC will take into account our concerns.”
Mohammad Halim Fidaee, who spoke on behalf of the Ahmadzai-led Change and Continuity camp, also expressed his satisfaction with the audit. “We hope candidate representatives, national and international observers will complete the process soon.”
Fidaee also claimed Ghani’s ballots had been tampered with, but the election commission ignored the issue.
The second round of the presidential election was held on June 14. But the process was deadlocked when the Reforms and Unanimity team led by Dr. Abdullah accused his rival of orchestrating widespread fraud.
Mediation by US Secretary of State John Kerry and the UN helped break the electoral impasse and both runners agreed on a full audit of votes and forming a government of national unity. (Pajhwok)