No IEC official present to distribute voting cards, complain Baghlan residents

KABUL: (MEP) – The residents of Pul-e-Khomri, the provincial capital of northern Baghlan province, complain of very slow distribution of voting cards, saying it takes several days to receive a card.

The protestors claimed the workers of voter registration centers were absent for many days while the people were waiting behind the doors to receive their cards.

They said despite the severe cold weather and snow fall, they went to the centers to receive their voting cards but the workers were absent.

“I am here in this cold weather for the last two days but the officials are not present because of what they say power shortages. We want the government to shift the office to a proper location with electricity facilities,” a resident of Baghlan said.

“Yesterday I came but there was no one in the office, today is also the same case, they say there is no electricity, the workers are not ready,” said another Baghlani.

However, the head of Baghlan election commission rejected the claims as baseless.

In a telephonic call to Ariana TV, the Baghlan election commissioner Amanullah Habibi said, “Both the male and female departments are active. Our workers are distributing the cards. There isn’t any problem.”

According to election commission officials, the voter registration center is only active in Pul-e-Khomri with more than 150 thousand families have so far received the cards.