KABUL // A special tribunal overturned nearly 25 per cent of last year's Afghan parliamentary election results yesterday, alleging massive fraud and putting into question who will control the parliament, one of the few checks on President Hamid Karzai.
MPs on the parliament floor shouted about the "illegal" special tribunal and threatened to hold demonstrations against what they saw as a power grab by Mr Karzai.
Yesterday the panel appointed by Mr Karzai threw out results for 62 races in the 249-seat legislative body. The special court judge, Sidiqullah Haqiq, said the panel will reconvene on Saturday, meaning even more results could be overturned.
The packed courtroom in Kabul gasped at times as the five-judge panel detailed some of the fraud it said it had uncovered in the election in September 2010, including one race in Kunduz province in which the tribunal said it counted 20,000 votes for someone marked as receiving zero.
"There was protest and even some killings in the provinces," Judge Haqiq said.
Election officials discarded 1.3 million ballots from the poll, nearly a quarter of the total, and disqualified 19 winning candidates.
The Supreme Court set up the special tribunal in December after it received more than 400 complaints and lawsuits over the poll, Judge Haqiq said. International advisers consider the re-counts illegal, but the tribunal insists that it has the power to overturn results and even order entire provinces to revote.
During yesterday's hearings, judges simply declared new winners for the races after offering their new tabulations. Judge Haqiq said their re-counting and investigations were monitored by different groups to ensure fairness.
"There were rumours that a list came from the palace" on who should win, the chief judge said. "I promise you no list came to me."
While leaving the ethnic and gender makeup of the parliament largely unchanged, the new members will probably be welcome to Mr Karzai. The president developed an adversarial relationship with the parliament in recent months.
Earlier this month, members launched a protest against Mr Karzai for not naming more than a quarter of his cabinet or three Supreme Court justices.
Afghanistan's parliament, inaugurated in late January, faces ongoing questions about who was rightfully elected, undermining the MPs' authority as they try to pass laws and the budget.
It remains unclear what the next step is for the election winners declared by the special tribunal or whether MPs already receiving government perks and bodyguards would cede their positions. The tribunal's announcements will probably face either a legal or political challenge.
Those who saw their claimed election win vindicated by the tribunal defended the judges' decisions.
"I'm very happy, not because of my win," said Fazil Karim Aymaq, a candidate from Kunduz province. "I'm happy that we are the new children of democracy. We are starting a new democracy in Afghanistan."
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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Brief scores:
Kashima Antlers 0
River Plate 4
Zuculini 24', Martinez 73', 90 2', Borre 89' (pen)
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Dubai World Cup prize money
Group 1 (Purebred Arabian) 2000m Dubai Kahayla Classic - $750,000
Group 2 1,600m(Dirt) Godolphin Mile - $750,000
Group 2 3,200m (Turf) Dubai Gold Cup – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Turf) Al Quoz Sprint – $1,000,000
Group 2 1,900m(Dirt) UAE Derby – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Dirt) Dubai Golden Shaheen – $1,500,000
Group 1 1,800m (Turf) Dubai Turf – $4,000,000
Group 1 2,410m (Turf) Dubai Sheema Classic – $5,000,000
Group 1 2,000m (Dirt) Dubai World Cup– $12,000,000
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
