By IANS,
Kabul : Voters in Afghanistan have been urged to turn out in large numbers for the Aug 20 general elections in a campaign run by the election commission and the United Nations.
The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan has enrolled a number of sports personalities and civic educators to organise mock voting across the country so that people learn the electoral process.
“Now is the opportunity for Afghanistan to strengthen not only its electoral institutions but also its other institutions to better deliver basic services to its people, to improve the quality of their lives, and access to justice,” Manoj Basnyat, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) country director in Afghanistan was quoted as saying in a statement.
The educators fanned out across the country in cars fitted with loud hailers to exhort people to vote.
The poll panel is distributing sample ballots, with names and pictures of candidates, to give voters a feel of what the actual ballot papers will look like on voting day.
Stressing that voter turn out is a major challenge in the insurgency plagued country, Masood Amer, a UNDP staff member, said: “Some people may be afraid to vote, but this voter education by the Election Commission has been very extensive.
“At least now most people know how important their vote is, and if we want our children to live without fear and have a prosperous future we have to go out and vote,” said Amer.
Zakia, a woman who participated in the mock voting held in Gurwana village in Bamiyan province, said: “We are participating in the elections in the hopes of changing our lives and of our children.”
Officials are also working with clerics to raise their awareness and understanding about the important role they could play in urging people to vote, said the UNDP release.
Youth icons like Olympic taekwondo bronze medallist Rohullah Nikpa have been urging the youth to come out and vote in TV advertisements put out by the election commission.
In 2005 the presidential election was conducted under the guidance of the international community. This time, the election commission of Afghanistan is the sole authority for conducting and supervising the elections.