Afghans ignore Ghani’s appeals on poll vote
Syed Salahuddin,
Arab News, April 21, 2018
A week
after the voter registration process began, public turnout remains low. Between
10 and 13 million Afghans out of the country’s estimated 30 million population
are eligible to vote in the parliamentary and provincial council elections.
after the voter registration process began, public turnout remains low. Between
10 and 13 million Afghans out of the country’s estimated 30 million population
are eligible to vote in the parliamentary and provincial council elections.
 |
|
In this
file photo, Afghan employees of the Independent Election Commission (IEC)
register a resident at a voter registration center for the upcoming parliamentary
and district council elections in Kabul. (AFP)
|
KABUL:
Afghans appear to be ignoring President Ashraf Ghani’s pleas for people to
register to vote in long-delayed elections set for Oct. 20.
A week after the voter registration process began, public turnout remains low.
Between 10 and 13 million Afghans out of the country’s estimated 30 million
population are eligible to vote in the parliamentary and provincial council
elections.
But so far the turnout in Kabul and other major cities may be as low as
113,000, officials believe.
Anyone failing to register before the government’s deadline in two weeks will
be unable to vote. Mosques and schools have been turned into voting
registration centers.
“We have had only a handful of people in this center since morning,” said
Inamaullah, an official in the north of the capital.
Poor security and a lack of trust in the election process are being blamed for
the poor turnout.
Many people have also expressed disappointment in the government for failing to
deliver on basic election promises.
The slow pace of registration forced Ghani to appeal to officials and the
country’s population to register.
“Today I spoke with the governors of 34 provinces and commanders of the armed
forces … to speed up the voter registration process,” the leader of the joint
National Unity Government said in a statement on Thursday.
“I asked the governors to direct civil servants and their family members who
are eligible to vote to take part in this critical process.”
Ghani also told the Minister of Hajj Awqaf to ensure that prayer leaders
encouraged people to take part in the voter registration process.
“I have directed the relevant officials to provide women with the necessary
facilities to participate in voter registration, and I instructed security
forces to safeguard polling stations,” the president said.
The British ambassador to Kabul was among foreign diplomats who urged Afghans
to register and vote.
“I encourage all Afghans to take this opportunity to use their democratic right
to perform their civic duty,” Nick Kay said in a video message posted on social
media.
Ghani and his wife, Rula Ghani, were among the first to register.
The Afghan leader even urged Taliban militants to register and campaign for the
elections — a call that was rejected.
Afghans appear to be ignoring President Ashraf Ghani’s pleas for people to
register to vote in long-delayed elections set for Oct. 20.
A week after the voter registration process began, public turnout remains low.
Between 10 and 13 million Afghans out of the country’s estimated 30 million
population are eligible to vote in the parliamentary and provincial council
elections.
But so far the turnout in Kabul and other major cities may be as low as
113,000, officials believe.
Anyone failing to register before the government’s deadline in two weeks will
be unable to vote. Mosques and schools have been turned into voting
registration centers.
“We have had only a handful of people in this center since morning,” said
Inamaullah, an official in the north of the capital.
Poor security and a lack of trust in the election process are being blamed for
the poor turnout.
Many people have also expressed disappointment in the government for failing to
deliver on basic election promises.
The slow pace of registration forced Ghani to appeal to officials and the
country’s population to register.
“Today I spoke with the governors of 34 provinces and commanders of the armed
forces … to speed up the voter registration process,” the leader of the joint
National Unity Government said in a statement on Thursday.
“I asked the governors to direct civil servants and their family members who
are eligible to vote to take part in this critical process.”
Ghani also told the Minister of Hajj Awqaf to ensure that prayer leaders
encouraged people to take part in the voter registration process.
“I have directed the relevant officials to provide women with the necessary
facilities to participate in voter registration, and I instructed security
forces to safeguard polling stations,” the president said.
The British ambassador to Kabul was among foreign diplomats who urged Afghans
to register and vote.
“I encourage all Afghans to take this opportunity to use their democratic right
to perform their civic duty,” Nick Kay said in a video message posted on social
media.
Ghani and his wife, Rula Ghani, were among the first to register.
The Afghan leader even urged Taliban militants to register and campaign for the
elections — a call that was rejected.
