IEC Press Release Sept 5 - Finalization of Polling Center List for 2010 Wolesi Jirga Elections
IEC Press Release
Finalization of Polling Center List for 2010 Wolesi Jirga Elections
5 Sept 2010
The Independent Election Commission, based on the timeline, has taken all the necessary preparations
for the purpose of holding Wolesi Jirga Elections on 18 September 2010. The IEC officially announced
the final list of polling centers on 18 August 2010 in accordance with the electoral timeline. The IEC for
2010 Wolesi Jirga elections initially prepared the list of 6,835 polling centers and shared it with all
security institutions so they could assess security at these sites.
The security institutions, after the completion of their assessment, reported that from a total of 6,835
mentioned polling centers, in their judgment 5,897 polling centers could be secured on Election Day
while 938 suggested polling centers in 25 provinces of the country could not be secured. At that time,
the IEC stated that due to the constraints articulated below, the number of polling centers scheduled to
open cannot be increased.
Increasing the number of planned polling centers was suggested in recent media coverage of the issue,
and the Commission is taking the opportunity to clarify the subject as follows:
1. The list previously published by the Commission was prepared by assessing the security
situation in the country, in coordination with the three national security institutions;
2. The Commission, in accordance with this list, successfully completed packing of sensitive
materials such as ballots and moving of materials to all provinces.
3. The Commission, based on the list announced, completed the recruitment process of polling
staff. Their training is currently in progress.
4. The Commission shared the list with all national and international observer organizations a
month before polling day. These organizations conducted their planning on the basis of the list.
5. In the areas where polling centers will not be activated, additional polling stations were added to
the nearest polling centers. Adequate facilities will exist on Election Day to allow every voter
who wishes to cast a vote the opportunity to do so.
In light of the constraints described above, the IEC cannot accommodate any additional polling centers.
The IEC is reiterating that it considers the list announced on 18 August as final. The IEC, however, may
decide not to open planned polling centers based on security conditions as elections approach. The IEC
respectfully requests all security institutions to assist in providing a safe and secure environment for
polling centers currently scheduled to open.
For more information please contact:
Information & External Relations Dept
Contact Number: 0799 42 10 95 -0707 186 159 - 076758318
