Youth dominate PCs in 3 provinces

SHIBERGHAN/KUNDUZ/MAIMANA (Pajhwok): A majority of the newly-elected provincial council members in Jawzjan, Kunduz and Faryab provinces are youth.

In the 2009 provincial elections, only four youth found their way to the Jawzjan council out of nine members, but the number of youth on the body increased to 12 out of 15 members in the April 5 elections. The youth were among 58 others jumping into the fray.  

A newly-elected provincial council member, Ikramuddin Farjad, told Pajhwok Afghan News he would serve the people using his experience and education.

He said the young generation was familiar with modern sciences and young politicians were more honest than their seniors in serving the masses.

“People observed the previous provincial council members doing nothing for their wellbeing because they were not professional,” he said.

Three women had won seats in the previous elections and as many made it to the Jawzjan council in the April vote.

One of them Nabia Mustafazada said elderly members in the previous council had been creating problems because they were uneducated.

Mustafazada, who served as secretary of the council, said, “Uneducated members had problems understanding important documents.”

She said the newly members-elect were educated and some of them had master’s degrees and could work better.

Jawzjan residents also welcomed the election of new faces to the provincial council.

A political science student, Naved Nazari, said young and educated members could play a positive role.

“The young members with their new ideas and plans can improve people’s lives and uneducated can do nothing but create problems for others,” Nazari said.

Similarly, most of the newly elected members to the Faryab provincial council are also young.

At least 61 people jumped into the electoral fray on April 5 in Faryab, 15, including three women, winning seats. Five of them are former members and 10 others are new faces.

Sibghatullah Silab, a winning candidate, said though new members lacked experience but they were honest to their cause of solving people’s problems.

Syed Abdul Baqi Hashimi, another winner, said young members were energetic and could easily carry out their responsibilities.

He also appreciated former PC members, saying most of them had been able to support people and solve their problems and disputes besides overseeing the implementation of reconstruction projects.

But a resident of Maimana, the provincial capital, Fida Mohammad said all the former PC members were inefficient and lacked sense of responsibility towards working for people’s wellbeing. He said former members had been busy competing with their political opponents.

However, Mohammad welcomed the election of new PC members and said most of them were young and energetic and had new ideas and plans for people.

In northern Kunduz province, the newly elected PC members are also young.

The previous provincial council had 14 members, including four women, while the newly-elected council has 15 members, including three women.

A young winner, Abdul Basir Qaderi, who bagged the most votes among his colleagues, said he would remain loyal to his promises of sharing people’s problems with senior government officials.

“Kunduz is in serious need of stability and construction. We will struggle to implement new plans and programmes in coordination with colleagues,” he said.

Alia, a female winning candidate, said she was concerned about a fewer number of females making it the council, but hopeful because mostly young individuals had won.

A resident of Kunduz City, Rizwanullah, said the previous members were useless and unable to serve the people to their expectations.

But former head of the council, Abdul Qadir Hussain, said former members had been working hard to maintain security, implement reconstruction and development projects in districts.

mds/ma

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