MAIDAN SHAHR (Pajhwok): Officials said on Monday a total of 220 polling sites were needed to be set up for the runoff presidential elections in central Maidan Wardak province.
The call for opening more polling sites came at a meeting chaired by Governor Abdul Majeed Khogyani and attended by officials of the Afghan National Army (ANA), the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and others.
Attaullah Khogyani, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News IEC Director Noorullah Paigham told the meeting they wanted a total of 220 polling sites in the province to facilitate eligible voters.
The province had 120 polling sites during the April 5 election, he said, adding that the IEC assessment showed 200,000 eligible voters could not exercise their right to vote in that election.
He expressed satisfaction that security officials had assured to bolster security for the second round of ballot.
The governor said a comprehensive plan had been worked out to ramp up security of polling sites that had been viewed insecure during the previous round of election.
He said efforts were on to keep those sites opened, which were closed in the previous round of polls.
Anti-state elements and rebels were out to disrupt runoff vote and step up attacks amid spring season but the country’s security forces had all the capabilities to thwart nefarious design of Afghanistan’s enemy, he added.
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