Some candidates in Herat offer electricity and bikes to voters

HERAT(PAN): Provision of electricity and distributing motorbikes to voters became part of election campaign in Herat province where total 151 candidates were striving to acquire 17 seats, allocated for the province in parliamentary elections.

Some of those candidates were traders who were spending money for construction of mosques, charity works and distributing cash among people.

Hundreds of election billboards and locals enthusiasm showed people’s interest in election process.

“A vote is equal to a motorbike as some of the candidates are offering motor cycle for a vote,” Nasser Ahmad Rah resident ofHerattold Pajhwok Afghan News.

Some of the government authorities in the province were blamed for misusing their positions to support a specific candidate.

According to some locals, Nisar Ahmad Faizi Ghoryani, a candidate, was misusing his brother status as provincial director of power and energy in the election process.

Abdul Raza Ghafuri, 31, said, “Faizi Ghoryani has promised villagers of Shams Abad and Wakil of Guzara district, he would provide them electricity, if elected.”

Even in Kalata village, Faizi had clearly told people to vote for him and he would provide electricity, otherwise there would be no electricity for another year,” Ghafuri said.

Nisar Ahmad Faizi Ghoryani confirmed he had provided electric polls, cables and transformers with his own expenses while there was no help from his brother in that regard.

There was no law to bar a candidate from helping people while the villagers had come to me who needed electricity, Ghoryani said.

“I am a businessman with many small and large trades with a factory of making electric pillars too,” he said.

According to locals, eight to ten out of total 151 candidates were offering motorbikes to elders in villages in the province for their support while hundreds of those motorbikes had been distributed so far.

“I have seen some candidates, such as Farooq Nazari, Ghulam Qadir Akbari, Nisar Ahmad Ghoryani and Ahmad Farhad Majidi, distributing motorbikes in Shams Abad and Wakil villages of Guzara districts,” Saif-ud-Din, resident of provincial capitalHeratcity said.

Some campaign workers confirmed distribution of motorcycles among the people but they said it was not related the election.

With other traditional methods they were distributing motorbikes and cash to needy people who helped them in election campaign.

“We have distributed seven motorbikes so far to those people in Kishk Robat Sangy, Kish Kohna, Angeel, Guzara, Zinda Jan, Pashtoon Zarghun and Korakh districts,” he said.

According to Khadim, they had donated 250000 Afghanis with five women‘s organizations while provided $ 3000 Dollars and 10 refrigerators to five mosques in Pul-e-Rangina and Ziarat villages of Kurakh district.

Under the electoral law, any kind of aid or donation from candidate in shape of conditional assistance was prohibited and would lead to penalty.

Article 5 of the electoral law says voters and candidates would take part in the elections under free will.

Imposition of any direct or indirect restriction over voters or candidates on the basis of language, religion, ethnicity, gender, tribe, religion or social status was prohibited.

The Election Complaint Commission (ECC) said although they were unaware of those cases but they would not allow any candidate from any province to violate the law.

“If a candidate provides electricity, motorbikes or cash to people and ask them to vote him then it is clearly violation of electoral law,” said Ahmadzai Rafat spokesman of ECC.

 

 

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