The Independent Election Commission (IEC) warned on Saturday that if the electoral teams continue to oppose the recount process, the commissioners will call for government intervention.

According to IEC officials, provincial offices are currently closed in seven provinces because of boycotting election team members. Those provinces are:Faryab, Sar-e Pol, Jawzjan, Badakhshan, Panjshir, Baghlan and Takhar. The IEC says the offices were closed by Abdullah Abdullah's electoral team in protest of the recount.

“If this problem is not resolved, we will invoke the laws of the constitution and the IEC mandate that allow us to ask for government cooperation to implement the election process in seven provinces,” said Mirza Mohammad Haqparast, the IEC spokesman.

Assadullah Sadati, the second vice-presidential candidate for Abdullah Abdullah’s Stability and Partnership team, said that the IEC has not responded effectively to the electoral teams’ demands, and prolonging the situation will lead to a crisis.

“We had no special demands. We had a legal demand for transparency, in accordance with the law and policy. If this demand is not met, surely, I think the outcome of the Afghan elections cannot be considered legitimate,” said Sadati.

Last Sunday the recount process resumed after a short delay. The IEC says the process has so far ended in 25 provinces and is continuing in two provinces, but it has not begun in the seven provinces with locked-down election offices.

According to the head of the secretariat of the IEC, the result sheets of recounted votes from 20 provinces have reached Kabul.

“Result sheets from 20 provinces have reached Kabul and their data entry and scanning been completed,” said Habib-ur-Rahman Nang, head of the IEC Secretariat.

Ashraf Ghani's electoral team accuses the other electoral teams of taking the election hostage.

“The government has a role in the implementation of the law and must play its role clearly and correctly and definitively because an election team can't hold a national process run by an Independent Commission hostage,” said Daoud Sultanzoy, an observer for Ghani’s team at the IEC center in Kabul.

The Afghan presidential election was held on September 28. The IEC has been delayed in its announcement of the results.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the Wolesi Jirga, or lower house of Afghanistan`s parliament, reacted to the delay of announced.

“The election process is impacting peoples lives, and people don’t have food to eat,” said Ziauddin Akazai, an MP, referring to the uncertainty that has had a large adverse effect on the economy.

“Seven provinces have been held hostage by teams-- so please allow recount,” said Abdul Sattar Hussaini, an MP.

“The election results should be transparent and announced based on biometric votes,” said Amir Khan Yar, another parliament member.

Citizens also criticized the delay of election results and say the process has affected their life badly.