The eastern Ghor is considered among the backward provinces of the country. It has 14 provincial council members with four of them are female members.
Following report contains views of individuals from different walks of life about upcoming presidential and provincial council elections in the country.
A driver: Free and fair elections are not possible in Ghor:
Sayyed Noor, a resident of Taiwara district said conducting free, fair and transparent elections were not possible in the province because the government had no writ elsewhere in the province. Local commanders had greater influence and people were in their control.
He went to say that previous elections were influenced by the local commanders and people had no choice to cast their vote independently.
Moreover, the growing insurgency was another threatening factor, which could sabotage the elections.
A farmer: Neither I get voting registration card nor I wish to vote:
Sher Gul, a resident of Shahrak district said he neither go the voting registration card nor he was willing cast vote in the upcoming elections. He vowed he would not allow anyone to cast vote in his locality.
Maulvi Mustafa had an influential militants’ commander who threatened local of dire consequences if they cast their vote.
Gul said he did not want to die nor anyone else of his locality would go for vote amid death threats.
A civil society activist: I along with my family will cast vote:
  Shams-ur-Rahman, a resident of provincial capital Chaghcharan and an activist of civil society pledged he would bring his entire family to the polling station to cast their vote.
“I and my family will cast vote to chose presidential and provincial council candidate who can bring peace and security to the country,” he added.
The provincial capital was enjoying peace and there was no sense of lawlessness, he said, adding most of the young people got voting registration cards and were committed to cast vote in the upcoming elections.
A daily wage labourer: I will vote in favour of a fair candidate:
Zawar Ali, a resident of Lalwa Sarjangal districts said though he was illiterate, he knew the importance of elections.
He said most of the people of his district had obtained voting registration cards who were willing to cast vote in the favour of an honest and loyal candidate in the coming elections.
A student: We cannot vote because of Taliban’s threats and fear:
Shah Jahan 32, a resident of Taiwara district of the province said Taliban had threatened them not to vote otherwise those who vote would be punished.
“We did not obtain voting registration card until now due to Taliban’s fear,” he said.
He said the government should establish its writ and improve the law and order and security in the province, adding that conducting peaceful and independent elections were impossible due to presence of Taliban.
A government employee: Casting vote is the right of every Afghan:
Sayyed Ahmad, a resident of provincial capital said that casting vote was the right and responsibility of every Afghan.
The future of our country largely depends on holding free and fair ballots, he added.