Thaindian News

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (BNO NEWS) – As polls closed in Afghanistan on Saturday, ballot counting began and a number of irregularities were discovered in the aftermath of an election that resulted in at least 14 dead from sporadic violence across the country, the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) reported.

There was a lot of insecurity and violence that marred the voting process in large portions of the country. FEFA observers found a number of serious security incidents at an estimated 389 polling centers. This includes blown up polling centers in Kunar, Khost, and Kandahar, as well as captured sites at Laghman, Kunduz, and Badghis, effectively shutting down all voting in the communities that those polling centers served.

In addition to the polling center disruptions, scattered attacks across the country killed fourteen people. One soldier and five militiamen were among the people killed by the violence at poll centers across the country, including a number of civilians who were there voting.

FEFA also reported a number of incidents involving ballot-stuffing, underage voting, and proxy voting. There was also a widespread failure of the ink that was to ensure that no individual could vote more than once, as it was found to be removable, but it’s not clear exactly how. There were also reports of a dizzying number of government official interfering in the voting process to sway the results in the favor of their supported candidates.

With these problems in account, FEFA indicated that they have major problems with the legitimacy of these elections and hopes that the Independent Election Commission (IEC) will do their party and ensure the integrity of the parliamentary elections of Afghanistan.

Despite the problems with the elections, a number of international bodies praised the effort made by the Afghanistan people, as 40 percent of the nation turned out to vote. The Secretary-General for the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, praised the elections, acknowledging the efforts of all involved and the efforts of the leadership of the country. He called on all participants to use appropriate legal channels to file complaints and asked for patience while the results are tallied.

Meanwhile, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan and U.S.-led NATO representative, Gen. David Petraeus, commended the people of Afghanistan for their efforts. “I commend, in particular, the Afghan National Security Forces, who performed so bravely today in safeguarding a weapon with greater potential than any other - the people’s right to vote and to have a say in the future of their country,” the General said. “It was an honor on this day, especially, for NATO ISAF forces to support our Afghan partners.”

Gen. Petraeus reaffirmed the international community’s commitment to Afghanistan, and stated that the elections made clear that the future of Afghanistan is not one of violence, but rather one of the democratic will of the people.