KABUL: (MEP) – Provincial Council campaigns officially kicked-off on Tuesday, marking the start of what is likely to be the most intensive stretch of the 2014 campaign season as both Presidential and Provincial candidates look to gain ground before election day.
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) once again took the opportunity to remind Provincial candidates of how they will be expected to behave and conduct their campaigns.
“The IEC’s red line for candidates is that they have to avoid regional, ethnic and racial prejudice and end their campaigns 48 hours before the election,” IEC spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor said.
Within just a few hours of daylight on Tuesday, Kabul and the surrounding areas were littered with promotional materials highlighting candidates’ qualifications and policy promises.
“People are worried about the future, the candidates must stay committed to the promises they make during their campaigns,” a Kabul resident named Suraya told TOLOnews.
Some expressed more cynicism, citing past experience as evidence that politicians do not live up to their promises in Afghanistan. “The candidates make so many promises, but most of them are not practical, as we’ve experienced,” another Kabul Resident named Mohammad Ayoub said.
In total, 2,713 individuals, including 308 women, are nominated for Provincial Council seats across Afghanistan. There are a total of 458 available positions, 96 of which are allocated for women. The total number of seats per province is based on population size.
