Kabul [Afghanistan], Oct 20 : Afghanistan is all set to begin its parliamentary polls today, even as threats issued by the Taliban cast a shadow on the democratic process.
Voting is scheduled to begin at 7 am (local time) at 5074 polling centers across Afghanistan, according to a polling centers list issued by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan. 8,918,107 voters have registered for the one-day poll, according to the IEC.
However, elections have been postponed in Kandahar by one week in the wake of the recent attack which took place in the governor’s house that claimed the lives of many, including that of Kandahar Police Chief General Abdul Raziq. Elections in the Ghazni province have also been postponed due to security issues and disagreements on reducing constituencies, according to TOLOnews The Taliban has threatened to disrupt the elections in the nation, and have claimed responsibility behind the deaths of numerous candidates in the past.
The terror group has also targeted election rallies to instill fear, as per an Al Jazeera report. The Afghans will be voting for the ‘Wolesi Jirga’, or the lower house of the Afghan Parliament. Adults over 18 years of age will be able to exercise their franchise in the democratic elections which are being viewed as a precursor for the 2019 Presidential polls in the nation.
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