"My position is not the same as that of [Hamid] Karzai, Mas'uda Jalal, or [Mohammad] Mohaqeq," Mangal told the weekly, referring to candidates who have said they will respect the vote count if the independent probe clears the process of overwhelming shortcomings. "Until my investigation is completed and I have made a different decision, the vote-counting process is neither acceptable nor valid for me, even if it's completed," Mangal told the weekly.

Mangal, who is generally regarded as a long shot among the 16 remaining presidential candidates, claimed that 85 percent of polling stations in one district of Kabul did not use indelible ink to help prevent multiple voting. He also criticized the election watchdog, the UN-Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB), noting that most of the presidential rivals to Afghan Transitional Administration Chairman Karzai had already labeled the JEMB "inefficient and illegitimate." Mangal suggested that the JEMB was biased in favor of Karzai.

Mangal told the weekly that he does not oppose the creation of the independent commission to investigate allegations of electoral irregularities, but added that "we will do our own investigations."

"If the result of their investigation corresponds to ours, we will accept their decision. If not, we won't accept their decisions," Mangal said, according to "Kabul Cheragh." "Until the result of the investigation is announced, we stand by our decision to boycott the election."

archive