VOTER VOICES & DEMANDS

LASHKARGAH (PAN): Growing insecurity, administrative corruption, joblessness, and low literacy rate amid sinking quality of education are among some serious problems that continue to boil in the southern Helmand Province, residents say.

They said that there is complete absence of water canals while authorities are unwilling to implement the development projects, which they said, would go a long way to address the problems of the war-weary people in the long-run.

LASHKARGAH (PAN): It is the prime responsibility of the Afghan government and international community to tackle widespread administrative corruption, improve education and health sectors, stabilize security parameters, and ensure market access for agriculture products.

Helmand people are not happy with the existing government, and they are going to participate in the upcoming elections. About 800 families who have come from Helmand are living in tents west of Kabul near Qambar Square. They have been living in Kabul for the past two years because of fighting in Helmand province, located in the volatile southern zone of the country. The report below was prepared on the basis of interviews with four of the migrated people last week.

Mazar-e-Sharif (PAN): Confronting with a host of problems, the residents of Balkh complain of rampant corruption in government departments, shortage of irrigation water, massive seasonal floods, and the illegal occupation of public land by influential people.
A number of farmers of different districts of the province said that in the wake of shortage of water, half of their land goes barren every year.

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): The residents of northern Balk province demand of the authorities to expedite work on the uplift projects and bolster the security situation of the province during the upcoming elections.
The current security is satisfactory in the province, they said, fearing however, the security could worsen in the backdrop of the polls.
Hamidullah, a resident of Sholgar District told Pajhwok Afghan News there is beefed up security in the town but the law and order tend to deteriorate during the landmark elections.

JALALABAD CITY (PAN): The residents of eastern Nangarhar province ask Afghan government and international community to address administrative corruption, worsening security and unemployment, execute infrastructure projects, improve education and provide higher education facilities to girls.
Insecurity has recently increased in Nangarhar province, a Wolesi Jirga member, Lailuma Wali Hakimi, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

JALALABAD: Dwellers of the earthquake-hit Sherzad district of the eastern Nangarhar province said they were participating in the upcoming presidential polls despite the fact that pledges made with them were not fulfilled by the government.
They believe that in using their right to vote, they would be able to elect a president who could pay attention to bringing a positive change in their lives.

KHOST CITY (PAN): Many people in southeastern Khost province called lack of access to potable water, schools, health facilities, lack of distribution of improved seeds to farmers as their main problems, requesting officials to address their problems.
Noor Shah Khan, a tribal elder from Sabari district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that there was only one health clinic at district level, but is not equipped with personnel and equipments sufficiently.

KHOST CITY (PAN): The residents of southeastern Khost province demanded from Afghan government and international community, the construction of Khost-Gardez highway, Khost International Airport, Khost-Ghulam Khan road, water and power dams.
Security and execution of infrastructure projects were some of the priority demands of the residents, provincial council head, Sayed Karim Khaksar, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He said the asphalting work on Khost-Gardez highway was launched six years ago, but the project is yet to be completed.

Security problems and lack of roads top the list of demands from many people in Khost. They want the next president to solve those key issues.
Located in the southern zone, the province has 12 official districts with another three unofficial districts. The province has nine representatives in the provincial council. Three of them are women and the rest are men.
The below report is based on comments of six residents - including two women, and one Kuchi - from three districts of the province.
An urban woman: We are fed up with Americans