KABUL (Pajhwok): Independent Election Commission (IEC) and security organs on Saturday claimed the presidential polls were ongoing in a transparent manner, asserting the impartiality of government servants.
At a joint press conference, IEC, Ministries of Interior and Defence as well as Independent Directorate of Local Governance spokesmen presented the latest information about the presidential vote.
Mirza Mohammad Haqparast, speaking for IEC, said: “The polling process is underway across the country. Commission workers reached all centres before 7am and biometric devices are working at all stations.”
He said about 137,000 observers were monitoring polling across the country. He called on IEC staff to stay neutral and facilitate voters according to rules.
Haqparast urged all observers and international monitors to oversee the election in a fair manner.
In a statement, the panel explained the people whose names were on the voter list but not on the digital list or vice versa had no right to cast ballots.
Nasrat Rahimi, spokesman for MoI, insisted polling centers had been secured. The security forces were protecting people and voting sites and no incident of violence had been reported so far.
He asked people to go to polling stations and cast their votes without any fear of violence. Rahimi asked the public to cooperate with the security forces, as they had done in the past.
RoohullahAhmadi, spokesman for MoD, said: “Security operations have been conducted in the areas where threats existed and the election has been made secure.”
Syed Shah Saqeem, spokesman of IDLG, said polling began at 7:00 and governors, their deputies, district chiefs and mayors visited polling centres, where they exercised their right to vote.
sa/mud