Fraud Tribunal Throws Out Quarter of Afghan MPs

Kabul – An Afghan tribunal has overturned nearly 25 percent of last year's parliamentary elections in a voting fraud probe.

The tribunal threw out results for 62 races on Thursday. Special Court Judge Sidiqullah Haqiq said more races could be overturned when the panel reconvenes on Saturday.

In one election in Kunduz province, the court said it counted about 20,000 votes for someone marked as receiving zero. Those gathered in a Kabul courtroom to hear the judges gasped at the figures.

International advisers consider the re-count illegal, but the tribunal says it has the power to overturn results.
The 249-seat legislative body acts as one of the few checks on President Hamid Karzai, who created the tribunal.