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Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) Weekly Election Coverage Newsletter, Nov. 12-18
Page 1
Abdullah denies rift with Ghani over Cabinet
By: Mohammad Hassan Khettab ,Date: 2014-11-16
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KABUL (Pajhwok): Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday said the national unity
government would support the Afghan forces, which he
said had the ability to frustrate enemy designs.
Speaking at the Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim
University in Kabul, Abdullah said the Afghan Army was
capable enough to defend the country from its enemies but
the troops needed more training and equipment.
“I am sure the Afghans can preserve their country’s
independency even at the cost of their lives and they
support their army, which is the pride of the country,” he
said.
Speaking to Afghan forces, Abdullah said the national
security forces should keep close liaison with the masses
to further gain their support.
“Afghan national security forces are swords for domestic
and foreign enemies and the national unity government
will further support them for their improvement,”
Abdullah said.
He also announced that the new cabinet would be created
soon and its members would try to solve people’s
problems and serve the nation with full zeal.
Abdullah also denied differences with President Ashraf
Ghani over the formation of the new Cabinet, saying the
Cabinet formation needed more attention and consultations
that was why it had been delayed.
Soon after being sworn-in last month, President Ghani
promised to form the new cabinet within 45 days, a
deadline that has already ended, but the Cabinet members
are yet to be named.
The president had also said he was in no hurry to form the
new Cabinet, which he said needed time and utmost care
in selection of professional individuals.
MPs assail Fazl over pro-insurgency remarks
By: Abasin Zaheer ,Date: 2014-11-15
KABUL (Pajhwok): Wolesi Jirga members on Saturday
strongly criticised a Pakistani religious party leader,
Maulana Fazl Rahman, for backing Taliban’s insurgency
against foreign troops in Afghanistan.
Fazl, the chief of his own faction of Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam
(JUI-F), on Friday met President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai
in Islamabad. Fazl reportedly said peace could not be
achieved in Afghanistan in the presence of foreign troops.
A lower house member from northeastern Badakhshan
province, Zakria Soda, said Maulana Fazl’s remarks were
clear interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
He urged the house not to stay silent over the JUI-F
leader’s remarks and show reaction in this regard.
“If the insurgency in Afghanistan is really legitimate then
Afghanistan ulema should issue a decree, otherwise give a
response to Fazl Rahman,” he said.
First deputy speaker, Siddique Ahmad Osmani, who
presided over the session, he strongly condemned Fazl
Rahman’s remarks about Afghanistan on behalf of the
lower house.
He called on the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
Ulema Council and the authorities concerned to give a
befitting response to the Maulana. “If no reaction is
showed, we will discuss it in an exclusive gathering to
make our own decision,” Osmani said. Lawmaker
Manawar Bahaduri from western Herat province said
former president Hamid Karzai had visited Pakistan more
than 20 times, but there had been no positive outcome.
“President Ghani should not have travelled to Pakistan,
which if really facing terrorism should tell Afghanistan
that it is with you in crushing the terrorists,” said the MP,
who said Pakistan had never been an honest friend.
However, he said President Ghani should try to gain
something from his visit to Pakistan.
His colleague from eastern Kunar province, Mohammad
Saleh, said he was against president Ghani’s visit to Paki-
stan. He said the president should have first resolved the
issue of acting ministers before leaving for the
neighbouring country. “We are facing problems in the
Cabinet due to the acting ministers. As long as we do not
develop a system at home, we cannot convince the world
to support us.”
But a lawmaker from eastern Nangarhar province,
Mirwais Yasini, said both Afghanistan and Pakistan were
victims of terrorism and both the countries should take
great advantage from the president’s visit.
Pajhwok Afghan News
Page 2
Election Coverage Newsletter
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KABUL (Pajhwok): Meshrano Jirga members on Tuesday
asked President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai to name and
introduce to Parliament his Cabinet nominees as soon as
possible and take effective measures for reversing the tide
of insecurity.
The call was issued days after President Ahmadzai said he
was in no hurry to introduce his Cabinet picks, a job he
would carefully do.
However, after being sworn-in last month, Ahmadzai said
he would introduce his Cabinet nominees to the parliament
for a vote of confidence within 45 days.
The president issued a decree asking all ministers,
governors and departmental heads to continue their job in
acting capacity. However, under the law, the time of acting
capacity should not exceed a month.
An upper house member from central Daikundi province,
Ali Akbar Jamshidi, told today’s session that the
government should introduce the Cabinet members without
any further delay because the acting officials had not been
performing with responsibility and as a result, insecurity
had increased.
His colleague from southern Kandahar province, Bismillah
Afghanmal, said the government should out to an end the
issue of acting officials and should focus on security.
He accused acting governors of interfering into the
elections of provincial council heads, their deputies and
senatorial representatives in order to have men in the future
parliament.
Shehnaz Ghausi from western Herat province said
prolonging the issue of acting officials meant increasing
insecurity in the country.
Senate Chairman Fazl Hadi Muslimyar also said the
government should introduce the ministers-designate at the
earliest. He said the nominees should be professional
individuals who could do away with the gap between the
government and the masses.
He said insecurity had lately deteriorated and the
government should take effective steps to reverse the tide.
KABUL (Pajhwok): A Wolesi Jirga member from
northwestern Badghis province was on Wednesday
expelled from the house after he entered a verbal clash
with his colleague from the same province.
The clash erupted after Qazi Abdul Rahim was interrupted
by another lawmaker from Badghis Syed Mohammad
Musa as he spoke about insecurity in his province.
Rahim said security incidents had increased in Badghis in
addition to tribal clashes and an ongoing drought, creating
numerous problems for local residents.
“I have repeatedly contacted the National Emergency
Committee and the ministries concerned about the
problems in Badghis, but there has been no positive
response,” Rahim said.
He urged President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and the lower
house’s administrative board to create a commission for
investigation into Badghis problems.
“But the proposed commission should not perform its task
in haste. It should thoroughly investigate and expose those
responsible for the deteriorating security situation in
Badghis.”
But another lawmaker from Badghis, Syed Mohammad
Musa, started talking without seeking permission from the
administrative board.
Rahim told Musa: “No one is listening to you. You may
please listen to me.” But Musa continued and so Rahim.
Rahim said:
“All issues and problems from insecurity and tribal
clashes to murders and other crimes should be carefully
investigated and the factors identified.
The real cause behind all these problems is Musa.
” On hearing this, Musa stood up from his seat and started
talking butjournalists could not hear him because his
microphone was off. However, a lawmaker, wishing not to
be named, said Musa hurled abusive words at Rahim and
threatened to physically attack him.
After the verbal clash, Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said
Musa had insulted Rahim and he should be expelled from
the house for a day for violating the code of conduct.
Security officials then took Musa out of the assembly.
This reporter tried to seek comment from Musa but failed.
MP expelled from Wolesi Jirga after clash
By: Abasin Zaheer ,Date: 2014-11-12
Senate asks govt to introduce Cabinet picks soon
By: Abasin Zaheer ,Date: 2014-11-11
HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Supporters of failed provincial
council candidates on Sunday staged a fresh protest
demonstration in western Herat province, vowing not to
allow those involved in fraud to enter the provincial
council office.
The rally was carried out at a time when the
newly-elected PC members were voting to elect their
administrative board inside the provincial Independent
Election Commission (IEC) office in Herat City.
The angry protesters chanted slogans like “death to IEC”
“we want justice” and warned of continuing their protests
until their demands were met.
Syed Sharif, a protestor, warned those who made it to the
council through fraud would not be permitted to enter the
council office.
The protestors asked President Ashraf Ghani to meet their
demands or they would continue protesting.
IEC chief in Herat Dr. Daud Sediqzad told Pajhwok
Afghan News Kamran Ali Rezae secured 15 votes from
the 19-member council and was elected as the provincial
council chief.
Tooryalai Tahiri was elected as deputy head of the council
and Sakina Husseini as secretary by winning 12 and 10
votes respectively.
Losers renew warning to disrupt oath ceremony
By: Khwaja Basir Ahmad ,Date: 2014-11-16
KABUL (Pajhwok): Failed provincial council candidates
on Sunday warned to once again disrupt a planned
oath-taking ceremony for winning runners in Kabul if their
demands went unaddressed.
After being put on hold for seven months, final results from
the April 5 provincial council elections sparked protests and
fraud allegations by failed candidates in various provinces.
The previously planned oath-taking ceremony for Kabul PC
members was slated for Nov 11, but it had to be cancelled
due to protest demonstrations by nearly 300 people in front
of the Governor’s House.
Pajhwok Afghan News
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Election Coverage Newsletter
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BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): For the first time in
Afghanistan, a female was Sunday elected to head the
provincial council in central Bamyan province.
Tabiba Khawary, a former civil society activist, secured
five votes from the nine-member body in a ballot held at the
provincial Independent Election Commission.
Tabiba, who contested the election as an independent
candidate, told Pajhwok Afghan News the time had come to
believe in women’s capabilities without being biased
toward the gender.
She said women should not be given a symbolic role in
society and instead given equal rights.
She said out of nine members on the council, only two were
women.
Sayed Ali, who secured nine votes, became Tabiba’s
deputy, while Mohammad Amir Mahmoudi was elected as
the council’s secretary.
Tabiba was born in Ande village of Yakawlang district and
she is now 31.
She has studied history in Bamyan University and has been
active campaigning for women’s rights. Khawary had been
a schoolteacher for four years.
Habiba Saroby was the first female governor of Bamyan
province for seven years before resigning to contest the
April 5 presidential elections as a vice-presidential
candidate.
Herat PC elects chief amid protest outside
By: Storai Karimi ,Date: 2014-11-16
Woman elected as Bamyan council head
By: Hadi Ghafari ,Date: 2014-11-16
New Kabul PC members administered oath
By: Khwaja Basir Ahmad ,Date: 2014-11-17
Khost PC in trouble to elect admin board
By: Mohammad Haroon ,Date: 2014-11-17
KABUL (Pajhwok): The newly-elected provincial council
members of central Kabul province were sworn-in on
Monday at the Governor’s House here despite warnings
from losing candidates to disrupt the ceremony.
After being put on hold for seven months, final results from
the April 5 provincial council elections sparked protests
and fraud allegations by failed candidates in various
provinces.
The previously planned oath-taking ceremony for Kabul
PC members was slated for Nov 11, but it had to be
cancelled due to protest demonstrations by nearly 300
people in front of the Governor’s House.
The protesters on Sunday renewed their warning and called
for the creation of a special tribunal to investigate fraud
allegations.
Losing candidates and their supporters have erected tents in
front of the Office of Administrative Affairs since
yesterday to continue their protest.
Kabul Governor Adbul Jabar Taqwa in his address to the
newly sworn-in PC members said the council was a place
to serve the people not themselves.
He urged the new public representatives to work
side-by-side with the provincial administration since there
were a lot to be done for Kabul’s development.
As many as 454 individuals contested the April elections in
Kabul province and 33 of them, including seven women,
were elected.
The new members will now elect their administrative board
officials and a senatorial representative on Tuesday.
Mohammad Daud Asas, a lawmaker who lost his
reelection bid, led today’s demonstration.
The Senator claimed he had evidence that some
candidates paid 30,000 to 40,000 dollars in bribes to
election officials in return for declaring them as winners
through fraud.
He warned unless a special tribunal was created to
investigate the issue, they wouldn’t allow the oath-taking
ceremony to take place.
Daud claimed they had voice recordings of top IEC and
IECC officials as evidence proving fraud.
Rafiullah Gul Afghan, another sitting senator, who lost
his reelection bid, asked President Ghani and CEO
Abdullah to intervene and solve the issue and warned they
would block major highways.
Electoral officials deny their involvement in electoral
fraud.
Some 10 losing candidates and dozens of their supporters
took part in today’s protest in the Pashtonistan Square
near the Presidential Palace.
Pajhwok Afghan News
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Election Coverage Newsletter
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But Khost IEC chief Mohammad Shafieq blamed the delay
in conducting the election on the absence of a number of
PC members.
Another IEC official, who wished not to be named, said the
delay stemmed from differences among the PC members
over the election of their senatorial representative.
But Rahman said there were no differences among them
over the issue of Senate candidate
KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Newly sworn-in provincial
council members in southeastern Khost province on
Monday accused the provincial Independent Election
Commission (IEC) of deliberately not conducting the
ballot to choose their administrative board’s members.
Speaking at a press conference here, they said people who
had voted them were in trouble because they could
resolve their problems until they elected their head,
secretary and deputy head.
One of the council members, Mujibur Rahman said they
were yet to elect their senatorial representative while most
provinces had already done it.
Another member Amirullah Zara Swand said they had
repeatedly asked the IEC provincial office to hold the
ballot, but there had been no response.
Khost PC members took oath of office a week back and
since have been planning to elect the administrative
delegation..
PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): Police detained six armed
robbers from the house of a failing provincial candidate
during a raid in the Mohammad Agha district of central
Logar province on Monday.
Logar police chief Brig. Gen. Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai told
Pajhwok Afghan News the raid was conducted in the
Kutabkhel area early in the morning.
A six-member gang of armed robbers was detained with
stolen goods from the house of Haji Shaukat Stanikzai,
who contested the April 5 provincial council elections but
his name was removed from the final list winners.
Stanikzai had fled but one of his sons had been arrested.
Ishaqzai said the gang had been involved in stealing
commercial goods on highways using military uniforms.
They also looted passengers on roads.
He said some weapons, 10 military uniforms, daggers,
700 bags of rice and 500 sacks of flour were recovered
from the detainees currently being interrogated.
Efforts at seeking comments from Stanikzai did not
succeed. It was for the first time a gang of robbers has
been detained amid increasing incidents of robberies on
the Kabul-Gardez highway.
Pajhwok Afghan News
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Election Coverage Newsletter
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KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani on Monday
said political issues won’t undermine national security,
praising Afghan forces for their patriotism.
Ghani, who paid a visit to one of the National Directorate of
Security (NDS) offices, thanked NDS personnel for untiring
efforts to do service to the people and the country.
“As a supreme commander of the armed forces, I am
determined to defending your lives, properties and honour”,
a statement from the Presidential Palace quoted President
Ghani as saying.
The president assured the NDS personnel that those having
committed crimes against them and arrested with their
efforts would not go unpunished.
He said the unity government was committed to
professionalising Afghan security forces and improving
their situation.
After being sworn-in on Sept. 29, Ashraf Ghani insisted
security forces should remain apolitical organs in order to
bring peace and security to the country.
Robbery gang arrested from PC candidate’s home
By: Abdul Maqsood Azizi ,Date: 2014-11-17
Political issues won’t hurt national security: Ghani
By: Pajhwok Reporter ,Date: 2014-11-17