JALALABAD (PAN): All polling centres in the eastern zone, where election materials have already been shifted, will remain open on Thursday, when 17 million Afghans will go to the polls.
Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) head for the eastern zone said on Wednesday all the 2835 polling centres -- 1808 for men and 1446 for women – in Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman and Nuristan are set to open tomorrow.
Abdul Malik Sulemanzai told Pajhwok Afghan News: "In the eastern zone, we have no reason for closing even a single polling station." He explained Nangarhar had 1903 polling stations, Kunar 601, Laghman 557 and
Nangarhar Governor Gul Agha Sherzai, in an exclusive chat with this news agency, hoped for a high turnout in tomorrow's presidential and provincial council elections. "We have no polling centre that will stay shut on Election Day."
There was speculation that voting might not take place in Nakankhel and Palalkhel areas of Khogyani district, but tribal elders assured of tight security and took ballot boxes to the neighbourhoods, the governor added.
Stringent measures had been put in place to ensure security at all polling stations across
Voters should confidently go to the centres to cast their ballots, said the governor, who confirmed the delivery of election materials to all districts but Waigal and Wanth.
Ballot boxes for the two districts lay at a military base in Chapa Dara, he pointed out, saying coalition forces had been requested to transport the election material to Waigal and Wanth as soon as possible.
