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KABUL (PAN): Electoral materials and security forces would be sent to the polling stations in the districts 'under threat from insurgents' once electoral norms were implemented there, said chief electoral officer Daud Ali Najafi on Thursday.


Unless the Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (AIEC) determined that election officials and observers could move freely in the troubled districts, and that Afghan army and police could guarantee the safety of voters, the booths would not open, Najafi told a press conference in Kabul.


He said ballot papers had not yet been delivered to nine districts.


He added it was not year clear that how many polling stations would no open in the elections and it will be cleared two days before the vote.


"Lack of security of polling centers means lack of election standard so there will be no polling where such problem exists," he added.


He said they can only ensure the standard if there were security forces guarding the stations so that the observers and officials could perform their job.


Over 200000 national and international observers had been accredited to monitor the elections.


The official said the electoral materials had been kept at provincial capitals under strict security arrangements and would be transferred to the polling centers by air, roads and to some areas by animals.


A final list of areas where voting can go ahead is expected in two or three days, he said


He added 181 separate polling stations were established for the disabled.


There are 6969 polling centers and 28663 polling booths for the upcoming presidential and provincial council elections.


While in previous elections there were 6200 polling centers and 26500 polling booths.


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