Campaign

KABUL (Pajhwok): Presidential election campaigns began across the country on Sunday (today) and will last two months.

About 18 candidates, including President Ashraf Ghani and his Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, are in the run for September 28 ballot.

Hawa Alam Nuristani, head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), asked the runners to follow the rules, procedures and principles during the campaign.

KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani, who is seeking his reelection, on Sunday, the first day of electioneering, said those who were not committed to peace would be not allowed to sabotage the peace process.
A two-month election campaign in the lead-up to the Sept. 28 presidential election kicked off today (Sunday).

KABUL (Pajhwok): A 20-day long campaigning by candidates contesting Saturday’s parliamentary elections will come to an end midnight tonight, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) said on Wednesday.
The IEC said no candiate will have the right to campaign beyond midnight tonight deadline and legal action would be taken against offenders.

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): A Wolesi Jirga runner Abdul Jabar Qahraman was killed and his seven supporters wounded as a result of bomb blast in southern Helmand province on Wednesday, officials said.
Omar Zwak, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News the blast took place inside Qahraman’s office during election campaign in limits of 1st police district at around 10am.
He said Qahraman was killed and seven others wounded after the explosives hidden in his sofa went off.

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Traders in eastern Nangarhar province have urged Wolesi Jirgacandidates to address problems the business community has been facing after winning the Oct 20 elections.
The businessmen raised their demand during a roundtable talks with Wolesi Jirga candidates. The event was organized by the Entrepreneurs Global Support Organization here.
Dr. Sher Ali Mohammad, the organization member, said the purpose of the roundtable to hear economic policies of the Wolesi Jirga hopefuls.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga could not hold its once a week session on Monday because a majority of the house members were absent campaigning for their reelection in the Oct 20 polls.
Earlier, Wolesi Jirga speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi had said the lower house would meet once a week during the electoral campaign.
However, only ten lawmakers were present on their seats at today’s session.

KUNDUZ CITY (Pajhwok): The death toll in Saturday’s bomb attack on an election rally has climbed to at least 22 people in northeastern Takhar province, an official said on Sunday.
Another 36 people were injured when the motorcycle bomb went off near the campaign gathering of a female Wolesi Jirga candidate Nazifa Bek in Rustaq district on Saturday afternoon.

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Sitting lawmakers, who are seeking reelection to the Wolesi Jirga, have been using government resources and authority in the ongoing electoral campaign, rival candidates in southeastern Paktia province complain.

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Two security guards were injured in an armed attack on the Wolesi JirgaCandidate’s Dr. Yar Baz Hameedi’s election campaign office in southeastern Paktika province on Friday.
Baz told Pajhwok Afghan News the attack took place at around 1:00 pm on his office in the Beland Mazalo area.
He said two security personnel have been wounded in the attack. One suffered deep wounds, he added.

KABUL (Pajhwok): Advertisements by some Wolesi Jirga candidates to find election observers has increased demand for observers, but election oversight institutes fear some candidates may buy votes this way.
The election campaign kicked off on September 31 and will continue until October 17, ending just three days before the Election Day.