KABUL - Some parliamentarians denounced as unfair casting of blank and invalid votes by Wolesi Jirga members in the parliamentary administrative board polls on Thursday, a day after they failed for a third consecutive day to elect the house deputy speaker. Lawmakers Ghulam Farooq Majrooh, Saleh Mohammad Saljoqi, Nafisa Azimi, Shah Gul Rezaee and Ahmad Shah Ramazan ran for the slot in the third round of election on Wednesday, when 54 blank votes were cast in the last round by the 209 MPs present.

"If the lawmaker again opted for casting blank or invalid ballots time, I would boycott the election," warned Fatima Aziz, a legislator from northern Kunduz province. She alleged some members were deliberately casting blank votes, and if the practice continued, they would not be able to complete the process.

"We must avoid this practice and I urge the house to delay the election for some days in order to give candidates for the second deputy speaker position time to campaign," suggested Fauzia Kofi, a parliamentarian from northern Badakhshan province.

Khalid Pakhtun, a legislator from southern Kandahar province, said every member had the right to cast a blank or invalid vote but they should keep in mind a candidate's ability for the slot.

"A lawmaker should not cast his/her vote in favor of a candidate who looks unable to effectively run this office," he said, asking MPs not to be driven by tribal and linguistic considerations and elect an eligible runner.
Another MP from Kabul province, Qurban Ali Irfani, saw no political motive behind blank or invalid votes. He believed the move was based on personal differences.

Under Article 87 of the Constitution, both houses of Parliament elect from amongst their members a chairman of the administrative board, with first and second deputy speakers and two lawmakers as the board's secretary and deputy for a year.