Afghanistan: Just Go and Vote, Herat Students Told

An IWPR event in the western Afghan city of Herat heard calls for voters to take part in the 2014 presidential election, whatever their qualms.

Local government officials, elected councillors, and electoral commission officers joined students attending the November 7 debate on the role of civil society in the forthcoming election took place at Kahkashan-e Sharq University.

The presidential vote will take place simultaneously with provincial council elections on April 5.

Many prospective voters are put off by the choice of candidates on offer, and by past allegations of widespread election fraud. Their indecision is only increased by rumours that the elections might be cancelled altogether.

One of the speakers at the event, Mohammad Anwar Mati, who works for the Herat governor’s office, said voters should come to the polls without preconceived ethnic, linguistic, regional or ideological preferences that would colour their choices. 

Addressing his remarks to young voters in particular, provincial councillor Sayed Hussein Husseini urged them base their choices on candidates’ level of knowledge rather than on superficial matters.

NGOs in Herat are getting involved in non-partisan campaigns to get out the vote.

“People have lost faith in political parties because of their poor performance in the past, but civil society institutions can play an effective role,” said Aziza Khairandesh, who works for a local network of civil society and human rights groups.

Abdul Samay Akhbar is a student at the journalism faculty of Herat University.

This report was produced as part of Open Minds: Speaking Up, Reaching Out – Promoting University and Youth Participation in Afghan Elections, an IWPR initiative funded by the US embassy in Kabul.