Afghan election body throws out nine lawmakers

Afghanistan's election commission today threw nine lawmakers out of parliament in a long-running row over fraud-tainted elections last year, its chairman said.

"Nine people... from eight provinces are reinstated and nine people will have to leave their seats," said Fazil Ahmad Manawi, chairman of the Independent Election Commission.

The IEC said the replacement lawmakers initially won the seats according to preliminary results in last September's parliamentary elections, but were later stripped of their victories.

"The reasons for their removal were not enough... so the IEC decided to reinstate those nine persons," Manawi said.

The Afghan parliament has been virtually paralysed since being sworn in last January because of the dispute over whether candidates should be kicked out over vote fraud, and if so how many.

There have been a string of angry demonstrations on the  streets of Kabul by affected politicians and their supporters.

Although President Hamid Karzai tasked the IEC with resolving the row this month, commentators predict its ruling is likely to provoke fresh protests.