Polls in Nawamesh being administered from Helmand

KABUL and district council elections in Nawamesh district of central Daikundi province are being administered from Helmand province, officials say.

Gul Agha Zameeri, head of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), said Nawamesh district was part of Daikundi and was being administrated from Neili, the provincial capital.

He said the election bodies should be contacted regarding the election process in the district.

Syed Hafeezullah Hashmai, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) spokesman, said the Nawamesh district was governed from Daikundi but elections in the district would be controlled from Lashkargah, Helmand’s capital.

“We implement orders through formal letters from the government. According to the official letter, Nawamesh belongs to Helmand.”

Hashami said according to orders, some affairs of the Nawamesh district were conducted from Daikundi and others from Helmand.

The district originally belongs to Helmand but due lack of transport and difficult terrain it is administered from Daikundi.  Hashami said the commission was investigating the issue.

Meanwhile, some residents of Helmand say administration of elections in Nawamesh from Lashkargah is unfair. They say the district officially became part of Helmand in 2014 and was made part of Daikundi in 2016.

Attaullah Afghan, the Provincial Council head of Helmand, acknowledged Nawamesh became part of Daikundi in 2016.

He said they would not allow the elections in Nawamesh to be administered from Helmand.

Nazar Mohammad Rodi, head of Helmand civil societies coordination, said the people of Helmand had long suffered from oppression as most of the territory was in insurgents’ control and elections could not be conducted.

“How is it possible that elections in Nawamesh will be conducted from Helmand? he asked.

He said the people of Helmand would not accept this and the government should soon take a decision in this regard.

nh/ma

Views: 10