AFGHAN ELECTION BODY WARNS OF POLITICAL CRISIS

Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission on December 12 accused the attorney general’s office of “irresponsible statements” challenging results of a September parliamentary poll, warning it could spark a political crisis. The election was tainted by widespread allegations of fraud, including reports of fake voter identification cards, repeat voting and intimidation. Afghan media reported that the attorney general’s office has asked the Supreme Court to cancel the results. But the commission, or IEC, said in a statement that the final results could not be challenged by any institution. The IEC threw out nearly a quarter of the 5.6 million votes cast over fraud and technical concerns. South African judge Johann Kriegler, one of five commissioners on a UN-backed election watchdog, also said the attorney general’s office did not have the legal authority to challenge “the legitimacy or otherwise of the whole of the elections or any part thereof.”