GARDEZ (PAN): More than 30 polling stations stayed closed in southeastern Paktia province after election staff refused to turn up for duty due to security concerns, officials said on Thursday.

Police chief Brig. General Aziz Ahmad Wardak told Pajhwok Afghan News voting was cancelled in Zurmat and Janikhel districts and provincial capital Gardez to keep election officials from being harmed.

IEC media officer Najibullah Shakiri said 28 polling stations were closed in Zurmat district, two in Janikhel and one in Ebrahimkhel area of Gardez. He confirmed IEC staff's refusal to go to the restive areas.

A resident of Zurmat said there was no one at the polling centres in the wake of Taliban distributing night letters that warned people to refrain from voting.

At a polling station in Gardez Girls High School, some monitors alleged minor girls cast votes. Torpikai, head of the 5th polling station, said most of the girls were aged between 12 and 15.

She griped security forces did not bother preventing the girls from entering the polling station. Election workers allegedly told the girls the names of several candidates they should vote for.   

Pajhwok Afghan News saw the voter registration card of a 12-year-old girl named Saleema, who said: "No one asked about may age on registration day and thus I got card. Now I want to use it."

A foreign observer, who requested anonymity, said: Many ineligible people cast their ballots. Our job is to observe, not to tell them why they are voting."

Feroza, head of the 3rd polling station at the same school, claimed they prevented several minor girls voting. "We also foiled attempts at double voting. A girl brought two cards, but we did not let her use them."

mnm/ma/mud