FIROZKOH (Pajhwok): Many women in western Ghor province say no problem can stop them from participating in this month’s presidential election and they will prevent the ballot from being rigged by a massive turnout.
According to election officials in Ghor, nearly 89,000 women have received voter cards for September 28 presidential election in the province.
Bibi Gul, a resident of Pasaband district, says she plans to use her vote for the candidate of her choice on the Election Day.
She said, “No problem can stop us from participating in the election. I am impatiently waiting for the day to come and I will go to the polling station and cast my vote for the candidate of my choice.”
“Many families in Ghor do not allow their women to go outside, but we convinced our elders that they should not stop us from going to polling stations”, she added.
She said insecurity, negative traditions, impassable routes and other issues could create problems for women’s participation in the election.
Gul said most women in Ghor would go to polling stations for the sake of positive changes in their lives by voting for their preferred candidates. They would vote a candidate who has good plans for women.
Malalai, a university student in Ghor, said she and her other family members who were eligible voters would participate in the election. “I think a high turnout means little chance for defrauders to win,” she said.
She also asked women to vote for a candidate who offered effective programs for improving women’s living standard.
Halima Parestish, Ghor Women Affairs Department head, said that women in the province would participate in the election similar to men for electing their future president.
She welcomed the Independent Election Commission (IEC)’s decision to take photos of voters including women during the vote process and said it would help prevent fraud.
“We know it would affect women voters in some provinces, but I think most of Ghor people will not stop their women from voting,” she added.
About people living in remote parts of Ghor, she said, “They should support this national process and do not prevent their women from participating in the election.”
Mohammad Nazir Nasrat, deputy operational in-charge for Ghor IEC, said that people should not bar their women from taking part in the election.
He said high turnout of men and women in election would stop fraud in the process.
According to Nasrat, more than 88,000 of 250,000 people who have received their voter cards are women in Ghor.
He said 118 polling stations out of total 292 would stay closed on the Election Day due to security reasons.
Electoral officials say 11 million people have received their voter cards across the country.
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