Voting ends on peaceful note in Takhar

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): People widely participated in the runoff presidential election in northern Takhar province, where all polling stations were open.

The voting officially began at 7:20am but residents had lined up at polling sites two hours earlier the official time.

Security officials had assured the voting process would be held in a peaceful environment.

Governor Abdul Latif Ibrahimi said they had adopted strict measures to prevent rigging and other irregularities.

“We were fully prepared to hold this round in a peaceful way to enable people elect their future leader with votes and determination.”

All polling centres and stations remained open throughout the 9-hour voting process, which ended without any security incident taking place, Takhar police chief Gen. Abdul Hanan Qataghani said.

Of the 215 polling sites in Takhar, he said, only three had security threats, but a security operation a week earlier paved the ground for keeping them open as well.

Syed Sibghatullah Alimi, a resident of Taloqan, said people’s participation was much greater than the April elections in Takhar.

He said most people exercised their right to franchise in favour of their preferred candidates.

Syed Rohullah Mosavi, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) regional chief, said people had massively taken part in the election, except some areas, where the turnout was slightly low.         

mrh/ma

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