Governors, election commission discuss upcoming election for eastern region

Published Aug. 27, 2008
By Capt. J. Elaine Hunnicutt
Nangarhar PRT

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -- The governors and election representatives of Nuristan, Konar, Laghman and Nangarhar provinces met with the National Independent Election Commission for a regional conference, Aug. 24, in Jalalabad City to discuss the security plans for the upcoming election season.

The focus of the Governor's Election Security Conference for the eastern region was to cover the overall election process and raise specific concerns.

The commissioner for voter registration from Kabul focused on the overall plan for voting; highlighting that the plan is broken down into four one-month phases to register the country in waves through its 800 large stations and 4,500 smaller voting stations around the country.

He asked for more support from the local governments and tribal elders with the voting process.

"We are only successful if we have the support of the leadership," said the commissioner. "We are asking for help from the police and governors during the upcoming elections."

The biggest concern this year is security, and deterring fraud and underage voting. Voters are required to have valid identification, and to have their photos and fingerprints taken.

"If identification is not available, local maliks will have to vouch for the individual; it is up to the local election officials to make the call," he said.

All of the governors expressed their concern that the process must be transparent and legitimate to ensure that the enemies of Afghanistan can not use the elections as propaganda to further their cause.

According to the governor of Nuristan, Hazrat Din Noor, education about the process is vital.

"People think that democracy is a western concept, but it follows Islam and people must understand this," Noor said. "It is clear in the Koran - the people must choose their leader; and the leader who is chosen by the people must be supported."

"We can't do it like the old days - when someone would take control by force," he continued. "That president should be chosen by the people, following the Islamic ways."

Placement of the election stations was a challenge last election and is a big focus for the coming elections.

"It will be hard for people to travel to the voting stations; the voting committee must consider this when choosing sites," Noor said. "They should be easy for everyone [to get to]."

"In some places people have to walk for eight hours to vote, but we hope that if we increase the number of stations, then we can increase participation," said Gov. Sayed Wahidi, Konar province's governor.

Nangarhar's governor said he was very excited about the election process.

"We are a sovereign country," said Gov. Agha Sherzai, Nangarhar province's governor. "For hundreds of years in history we [Afghans] have had governments, but not democracies."

Sherzai thanked the international community for creating this environment.

Wahidi focused on the importance of making the election commission independent and providing a safe environment for them to work in.

"Let's make the Afghan dream come true, and let them use their vote. Using the vote is something all Afghans are proud of; the majority's vote needs to be respected," Wahidi said.

Wahidi stressed the importance of civic education. "Let them know how their votes will be used and what their rights are," he said.

He also thanked the international community for their support.

"We are proud to have a president elected by the Afghan people," Wahidi said. "Both men and women used their votes to choose a president; this was a big achievement. We don't just need to build infrastructure ... We need to build the civic society; it needs to be built and supported."

Wahidi highlighted that the election committee in Konar is doing a good job and that the local government will not interfere with their work.

"We are part of the process and can make suggestions, but they are completely independent," Wahidi said. "They are not in the shadows of any other organization. We will help them, but not try to control them."

The governor of Laghman province, Lutfullah Mashal, was concerned about security.

"We need support for all of the security forces and to work with the regional [Provincial Coordination Center] to secure the elections," Mashal said. "It is important to have good coordination between all of these entities. We have to work hard to secure the polls."

Col. John Spiszer, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division commander in the region, lauded the governors for coming together early in the process to discuss concerns.

"As the governors have already stated the legitimacy of the process is vital so that the international community and the Afghans will have confidence in their government," Spiszer said. "We in the Coalition must tread lightly and not corrupt your process."

"Our greatest area is in security and if you know that there are problems, we will address those early," he continued. "This is a big effort and the key is coordination. What you are doing today is furthering the other efforts relating to this process by disseminating information about the registration to ensure the people understand and provide security for the people to vote."

"I'm very proud to be here and be apart of your process, and we will do what we can to help your ANSF," Spiszer said.

Governors Election Commission