IEC Press Conference Notes, Sept 19

The Chairman of the Independent Election Commission held a press conference today to outline developments since yesterday’s poll. Fazal Ahmad Manawi said the figures quoted were from information he had at this stage and said they were subject to change. Here are our notes:

Turnout

Based on preliminary reports, the IEC believes that more than four million votes have been cast. The IEC says this is a very pleasing turnout. Mr Manawi said he admired the Afghan peoples’ courage to defy fear and intimidation and participate in the election and make it a success. 

Counting

Vote counting has finished in 22 of the country’s 34 provinces. In Badakhshan, Baghlan, Balkh, Ghazni, Faryab, Kabul, Khost, Laghman, Logar, Takhar and Wardak, between 50-99 percent of the votes have been tallied. In one province (Nuristan) the IEC has no reports about the status of vote counting so far.

Polling Centers

There is no major change in the numbers of polling centers open or closed since yesterday. Some 5,355 polling centers were open and 304 polling centers were closed. No information was available about the status of the other 157. In total 17,045 polling stations were open and the status of 1,686 other polling stations was unknown.

IEC Staff

Three IEC staff were kidnapped in Chamtal district of Balkh province yesterday. Their bodies have been found and Mr Manawi offered his condolences to their families. Some 13 IEC staff were injured in Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kapisa, Takhar, Paktia, Ghazni, and Wardak provinces. He said there had been reports of kidnappings about which the IEC does not have accurate information yet.

Election Day Violence

There were 11 attacks on the delivery of polling material in Laghman, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and Faryab provinces and 93 attacks on polling centers across the country. These attacks occurred in the provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kapisa, Takhar, Paktia, Ghazni, Wardak, Kunduz, Sar-e Pul, Baghlan, and Badghis. Mr Manawi said 21 voters were killed and 46 others wounded across the country.