IEC punishes 52 candidates for launching early election campaigns

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has imposed cash penalty ranging from 30,000 to 100,000 AFN fine on 52 parliamentary elections’ candidates who began their election campaign ahead of the scheduled timing.

Addressing a press conference on Friday in Kabul, the head of the IEC media committee, Rafai Rafiq Sediqui said the candidates have been penalized for launching their campaign before the scheduled timing on social media or banners and placards in some parts of Kabul.

The official added that the electoral law allows them to make warnings, penalize or refer the offenders to judiciary institutions with the agreement of the Independent Electoral Complaint Commission (IECC).

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USA: “We never get ahead of sanctions decisions” on Hekmatyar

The United States has said “they never get ahead of sanctions decisions” on Gulbuddin Hekmatyar as a landmark peace agreement was signed between the party the Afghan government last week.

In response to a question whether the US will pull out Hekmatyar’s name from global terrorist list, the State Department Press Office Director, Elizaabeth Trudeau, said “Well, as you know, we never get ahead of sanctions decisions. I won’t do that now. I think we spoke about that agreement when it was first announced out of Kabul and we welcome that. But in terms of individual actions on sanctions, I will not get ahead of that.”

The draft peace agreement between the Afghan government and Hezb-e-Islami was formally signed during a special ceremony organized in ARG Presidential Palace last Thursday.

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