Above 66pc of people interested in polls: Survey

KABUL) while 62 percent people see elections as the only way of power transition and 66 percent are interested in the upcoming polls.

The survey about people’s participation in the Wolesi Jirga, a media organization.

During the survey, 5,160 people interviewed including 14 percent of them women in all 34 provinces of the country.

Iqbal Bazgar, a member of the investigative team of Salam Afghanistan, presented the survey result in Kabul today. He said their findings showed 66 percent of people were interested to participate in the upcoming elections.

“Widespread participation in elections is good news, but its credit does not go to the IEC or the government because they have failed to win people’s trust,” he said.

Bazgar said 62 percent of the interviewees believed elections were the only way of power transition while 38 percent said they did trust the IEC performance.

The survey follows a study of the Afghanistan Organization of Development Studies (AODS) that interviewed 3,040 people across the country.

In that survey, 84 percent of people believed elections were the only way of legitimate power transition while 69 percent showed interest in polls.

On the other hand, Bazgar said they tried to interview the same number of women as men, but only 14 percent of women participated due to traditional restrictions.

“If the government does not use this opportunity and again fails to win the public trust, it will lead to unwanted consequences,” he added.

ShafiqKhatibi, a supervisor of Salam Afghanistan organization, said that the interest of people in Wolesi Jirga and district council elections was higher in Nuristan, Laghman, Kunar and Nangarhar provinces compared to other parts of Afghanistan.

The survey shows 99 percent of people in Nuristan and 89 percent in Nangarhar province are interested to participate in elections.

He said 62 percent of people in Balkh, 64 percent in Kandahar and 68 percent people in Herat province showed their interest in polls.

However, Khatibi said 63 percent people in Kapisa province said they did not trust the IEC and would not participate in the polls.

According to the IEC, nearly seven million people have so far registered as voters for the October 20 Wolesi Jirga and district council elections.

mds/ma