KABUL (Pajhwok): The Presidential Palace on Friday said the Wolesi Jirga or lower house election has been delayed in southern Kandahar province for a week.
Shah Hussain Murtazavi, spokesman to the president, said on his twitter account that the decision to postpone Wolesi Jirga election in Kandahar was made in an extraordinary meeting of National Security Council (NSC) following requests of Kandahar people and suggestion from the Independent Election Commission (IEC).
Murtazavi did not provide more details on the regard. The Wolesi Jirga election is scheduled for October 20, Saturday.
On the other hand, Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi, the IEC spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the decision for delaying polls in Kandahar was for respecting the victims of Kandahar attack.
He also said the election in Kandahar would hold after a week.
The decision for suspending election in Kandahar comes a day after Kandahar police chief, Gen. Abdul Raziq, provincial National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief and Gen. Abdul Momin Hussainkhel were killed and several other people including Governor Zalmai Wesa wounded in an insider attack during a high level security meeting late on Thursday.
The meeting was organized in Kandahar govenor’s house which also attended by NATO and US forces top commander in Afghanistan Gen. Scott Miller but he escaped unhurt.
The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the incident, saying Gen. Raziq was among several others killed.
President Ashraf Ghani sent a high level military delegation to Kandahar city last night for controlling situation in the province after the incident.
The president in his message had said that situation in Kandahar was under assessment and he provided necessary directions for improving the situation in the province, in a commander in chief meeting on Thursday evening.