KABUL, Afghanistan, June 23 (UPI) -- The rift between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Parliament grew Thursday when a special court effectively invalidated last year's parliamentary election.
Chief Judge Sediqullah Haqiq said the court, convened by Attorney General Mohammed Ishaq Aloko at Karzai's request,
found 62 candidates should be reinstated, The New York Times reported.
The court said the Election Commission improperly removed them from the ballot or invalidated votes cast for them.
Parliament responded with a vote of no confidence in Aloko and leaders said he should resign.
The disputed election last year resulted in a Parliament less closely tied to Karzai than the previous one, the Times said. The president has been governing without consulting legislators, and none of his cabinet has been confirmed.
The court did not say how the 62 candidates should be seated in the 249-member Parliament. Aloko has suggested in the past charging 62 legislators with fraud, forcing them to stand down.
The countries that provided aid for the elections have supported election authorities in describing the court as illegal.
Read More
- NATO hails Obama's Afghanistan plans
- Obama: U.S. not abandoning Afghanistan
- Majority want U.S. out of Afghanistan
- Attack kills six Afghan policemen
- Defeating Taliban 'not the objective'
- Bank crisis adds to Afghan woes
- Talks with Taliban OK, London says
- 3 suicide bombers strike in Kabul
- Many Afghans happy foreign troops leaving
- Afghan security transfers planned
