GHOR (SW) – Electoral campaign for the forthcoming Wolesi Jirga (lower house) elections are confined to only two out of a total of ten districts in Ghor province.
Two candidates from the province, Aziz Afzali and Gulfaroz Ghafori, told Salam Watandar security impediments and cultural constraints have made it difficult for them to run campaign across the province. Based on the information obtained by SW, the candidates are running their campaigns in Feroz Koh and Lal Wa Jangal districts alone.
The candidates went on to say most of the polling stations in the restive parts of the province are closed, and few of them that are still open would be used for ‘rigging’.
Members of the local civil society fear if the government failed to ensure security, the Ghor residents would be deprived of the equal opportunities to vote. Mohammad Wazeer Noorani, member of the Ghor civil society, said the Taliban have clout over all province, and they have not allowed the candidates to run their electoral campaigns.
Meanwhile, Abdul Hai Khatibi, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the candidates are running their campaigns in line with their tribal linage, and if they want to run campaign in certain areas, the security forces would cooperate with them.
A total of 30 candidates, including five women, are competing for 6 seats of the WJ for Ghor.
ENDS
