Afghanistan Times
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By Farhad Naibkhel
KABUL: The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on Monday warned against the recurrence of 2014 poll’s scenario in the upcoming presidential election, saying if that happened it will lead to an irreversible catastrophe.
Speaking at a conference tilted “Women’s Participation in Election,” he said that the past elections’ challenges and experiences should be a lesson for moving forward toward a better future.
He continued that conducting election was a turning-point for Afghans’ fate, therefore it must be a free and fair election. “As we are saying that each person has the right to vote one time, then it must be translated into practice.”
While dubbing running of the election vital and very important at the current situation in Afghanistan, he elaborated that “On one hand, a group doesn’t believe in the election and thinks that deciding the fate is possible through other means such as via war, violence and terrorist activities but on the other hand there are majority of Afghan people who all believe in the democratic practice of vote for deciding their fate, so they should not disappointed.”
Hinting at women’s– who constitute half of the society – role in election, Dr. Abdullah said that women who earned this right by giving sacrifices should not be ignored. He reiterated that women’s role in election must be on top agenda.
While motivating women to use their rights to suffrage and choose a better future, he said that election was not only for few figures, but it was a national process that belonged to all.
Independent Election Commission (IEC) Head Hawa Alam Nuristani said that women as half of the population played crucial role in political, economic and social issues of the country.
She hoped that active participation of women would be a guarantee for a transparent and just election across the country.
She stated that it wasn’t only upon the IEC to conduct free and fair election but also the active participation of people, particularly women, political parties, civil activists in the election and a clear observation were something that would pave the ground for a transparent election.
