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Rift leads to closure of provincial council’s office

author avatar
27 Feb 2012 - 16:58
author avatar
27 Feb 2012 - 16:58

KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): The provincial council office in southern Kandahar province was closed after its members developed differences, creating problems for residents, officials said on Monday.

The office was closed on Saturday after public representatives engaged in a dispute over the nomination of the council head during the administrative board’s elections.

The council’s activities have been sluggish since the assassination of Ahmad Wali Karzai, the council head and President Hamid Karzai’s brother, in July 2011. Wali Karzai was killed by one of his bodyguards at his residence in the provincial capital.

Under the relevant rules, council members elect from amongst them members of the administrative board each year. But after Wali Karzai’s death, council affairs are being run by the deputy head, Haji Ehsan Noorzai.

In an exclusive interview last month, Noorzai told Pajhwok Afghan News that they had previously announced the date for the elections, which were postponed because some members had been to Turkey.

“The council board has thrice announced new dates for the elections, but voting could not take place due to the absence of four members,” he explained. The reason behind their prolonged stay in Turkey was unknown, he said.

But Agha Lali Datagir, a member of the council, accused Noorzai of intentionally delaying the elections. He said two weeks ago the council members had decided to elect their second deputy, but the process was delayed.

Residents complain about the closure of the office, saying the members had failed to address their problems due to internal differences

They said about 60 people visited the office on a daily basis, but there was no one to solve their problems.

Zalmay Ayyubi, the governor’s spokesman, said the election was an internal issue for the council and the governor’s office had nothing to do with it.

mrh/ma/mud

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