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KABUL (SW) – The long-due Wolesi Jirga (lower house) elections finally took place after a delay of three years, but since the beginning of the process, complaints have been raised about delays and glitches in the process extended to a second day.
– Herat
More than 640 complaints have been lodged in connection with the electoral process in Herat province. Fatema Baqari, head of the Independent Election Complaint Commission in the province, told a presser there are chances of cancelling votes of some candidates after evaluation of the complaints.
Ahmad Shah Qanoni, provincial head of the Independent Election Commission, told the presser that out of 557,000 registered voters, up to 327,000 people caste their votes in Herat.
– Balkh
Dead bodies of four electoral observers, who were abducted by the Taliban yesterday, have been recovered in Balkh today. Mohammad Akram Sameh, provincial police chief, said these men were abducted by the Taliban from the Afghania village of the Neher-e-Shahi district. He said investigation have begun to determine facts about the incident.
– Kunduz
Today, eight polling centres in Kunduz were scheduled to open for the polls, but the centres were closed due to security threats. Mohammad Rasul Omar, head of provincial office of the Independent Election Commission, told Salam Watandar these centres were located in four districts. The IEC failed to open polling centres in Aliabad, Aqtash, Imam Saheb and Chardara districts due to high security threats.
– Jawzjan
The Talibans’ attacks on 14 polling centres in Jawzjan were repulsed. According to Lotfullah Azizi, governor of the province, the security forces repulsed the Talibans’ attacks. He hailed the peoples’ participation, and said especially the women of the province showed keen interest in the elections.
Farzana Karimi, chairman of the Independent Election Complaints Commission in Jawzjan, said that since the beginning of the electoral process, more than 50 electoral complaints have been filed. He said most of the complaints are related to the electoral commission, candidates and observers.
For the WJ elections in Jawzjan, 30 candidates, including 4 women, are competing for five seats in the house.
– Nangarhar
Officials in Nangarhar province said voting has begun in 14 centres in six districts of the province that were closed yesterday. The provincial governor's spokesman, Ataullah Khogyani, told Salam Watandar that the votes of the centres that were open yesterday are counted.
According to local authorities, the province saw 15 attacks by the Taliban on the first day of the elections. Three people were killed and 44 others wounded as a result of the attacks, according to the officials.
– Logar
Security officials in Logar province said that 11 Taliban rebels and five policemen were killed in the province on Saturday. Shahpour Ahmadzai, spokesman for the police headquarters, said the rebels wished to disrupt electoral activities in the provincial capital, Pul-e-Alam, and Mohammad Agha and Khosi districts.
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