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IEC announces Ghazni to go to the polls in October
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said Saturday that the delayed parliamentary elections in central Ghazni province will be held in October next year.
Addressing a press conference, Hawa Alam Nuristani, the chairperson of the IEC, stated that the provincial council, municipal, and parliamentary elections will be held in Ghazni simultaneously.
The parliamentary elections were held on October 28, 2018, but elections in Ghazni were canceled due to security issues.
Nuristani meanwhile urged the government to provide the budget and maintain security around the process.
“Operational plans for Ghazni and the provincial council was submitted to the Presidential Palace. The elections are set to be held in Mizan, 1400, Persian Calendar, (October 2021). We have signed the document of the project with UNAMA.
Nuristani said the problems that besieged the 2018 elections will be prevented from recurring during next year’s elections.
The IEC stated that election results would be announced after the first round.
“No changes have been made in Ghazni elections and it will take place as it was planned. The elections will not have a second round, and the election budget will be much lower than the previous elections,” a member of the IEC, Maulana Mohammad Abdullah said.
The IEC stated that elections in Ghazni would cost $19 million while the rest of the elections would cost $80 million.
Habiburrahman Nang, head of the IEC secretariat stated: “$19 million has been allocated for Ghazni and another $80 million for provincial and district council elections, but this budget is not final and changes could be brought. We have the support of our partners, including the government and UNAMA, and our meetings are ongoing.”
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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