GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): A number of people prevented election materials from being transported to some districts in southern Ghazni province in protest against the prolonged delay in holding Wolesi Jirga polls in the province.
Wolesi Jirga or lower house elections were held on October 20 and 21 in all provinces except Kandahar and Ghazni. The polls were conducted in Kandahar a week later but are yet to be held in Ghazni province. The parliamentary polls were previously expected to be held together with presidential election on Sept 28.
However, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) recently said that the two elections could not be held together in Ghazni due to insecurity and some controversies over the polls there. The commission delayed the elections in Ghazni for an indefinite time.
Logistics for conducting the polls have sent to provincial capitals and materials are being transferred to districts for voter registration process.
However, dozens of protestors in Ghazni province gathered in front of the provincial IEC office in Ghazni city and stopped the transfer of election materials to districts.
Ibrahim Amiri, one of the protestors, told Pajhwok Afghan News that they would not let the materials transferred to districts until the Wolesi Jirga elections were announced in the province.
“We would not let the transfer of these materials, Ghazni people want their right,” he said.
He stressed the Wolesi Jirga and presidential elections should be held together in Ghazni.
Mohammad Faroq, another protestor, said the government was unjust about elections in Ghazni.
“Our rights were violated in the past elections too, something being repeated again, we cannot tolerate it anymore,” he said.
A number of other protestors had similar complaints.
Nasir Momand, IEC head for Ghazni, confirmed protestors had stopped the transfer of election materials to districts.
“I told the protestors that their requests are above my authority and they should share their issue with officials in Kabul for a solution,” he said.
He asked the protestors to allow election materials to be shifted to districts as creating problems for the process would further challenge elections in the province.
Ghazni people had shut the provincial IEC office during Wolesi Jirga elections after controversies over the election method in the province.
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