748 polling sites to stay shut

KABUL) security body on Sunday announced that 90 percent of polling stations across the country would remain open on April 5.

The IEC’s security body chief, Maj. Gen Salem Ehsas told reporters in Kabul 748 of 6,423 polling sites would stay shut on Election Day due to insecurity, road blockades and other factors.

IEC Secretary Ziaul Haq Amarkhel, who was also present on the occasion, said the closure of 10 percent of polling sites would not affect the election process.

“The number of sites that will remain open is pretty high, compared with the previous elections,” Amarkhel observed, saying important materials had been transported to polling sites.

He asked presidential and provincial council candidates to respect people’s verdict and steer clear of fraud; otherwise the IEC would reveal their names.

He said the commission had registered up to 200,000 Afghan and foreign observers, and proper measures had been put in place to ensure transparently.

Ministry of Interior spokesman Siddique Siddiqui alleged militants and some regional intelligence networks were out to disrupt the elections, but they would never achieve their nefarious designs.

Siddiqui asked people to take part in the elections in large numbers to show Afghanistan’s enemies could not prevent them from voting.

mds/mud

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