Survey doesn’t represent all Afghans: TEFA

KABUL(TEFA) on Monday said a recent public opinion poll on the popularity of presidential candidates did not represent Afghanistan’s 30 million population.

The poll by Soft Power Solution (SPS) in collaboration with Democracy International (DI) in 115 districts of 34 provinces found Dr. Abdullah, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Abdul Qayum Karzai and Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf as leading contenders.

Fifty-two percent of 2,500 people polled supported Dr. Abdullah, 48 percent Ashraf Ghani, 40 percent Abdul Qayyum Karzai and 27 percent Sayyaf, 25 percent Gul Agha Sherzai, 25 percent to Zalmai Rassoul, 17 percent Rahim Wardak, 16 percent Daud Sultanzoy, 15 percent Qutbuddin Hilal, 15 percent Nadir Naeem and 11 percent Amin Arsala.  

On the popularity front, 92 percent voted for Dr. Abdullah, 86 percent for Ahmadzai, 81 percent for Karzai, 78 percent for Sayyaf, 65 percent for Sherzai, 62 percent for Wardak, 53 percent for Zalmai Rassoul, 39 percent for Sultanzoy, 36 percent for Naeem, 35 percent for Hilal and 35 percent for Arsala.    

But TEFA head Naeem Ayubzada viewed the survey as a campaign for the presidential candidates. He said the survey might have pleased the leading candidates, but it could provoke negativity among those with fewer supporters.

Ayubzada told Pajhwok Afghan News cultural and economic problems and differences in rural areas should not be ignored.

The TEFA chief said the new poll could be regarded as some sort of information regarding the elections, but it did not represent the country’s entire populations.

He stressed such surveys should be accurate given the sensitivity of the situation in Afghanistan.

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