At a rally held in Kabul on Thursday, members of an Afghan pro-democracy group dedicated to promoting the 2014 presidential elections called on their fellow countrymen to take part in the voting process to shape their future and defy the militants trying to destabilize the country.
The group, named "Third Civil-Political Process", embodied the Afghan public's determination attitude that has been widely discussed in domestic and international news media in the lead up to Saturday's vote. Despite a spike in militant violence targeting election officials and civilians, Afghans have flooded voter registration centers over the pasfft two weeks at unprecedented rates.
“We want people go to the polling stations on Saturday and vote without any fear,” the group's Chairman Irshad Mangori said on Thursday.
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has registered 3.8 million new voters this year, and some experts have projected a total voter turnout of roughly 13 million. In 2009, after an official vote audit, the IEC estimated the total number of valid votes to have been less than five million.
Ahead of Saturday, many have expressed concerns about the potential for election rigging and fraud like that which marred the 2009 vote. However, election officials have assured that new counter measures are in place that will protect the integrity of the elections.
Participants of Thursday's rally, like Ehsan Tahiri, were adamant about election observers keeping a close eye on the voting process this year. Election officials have said there will be more monitors in place than in any other election.
Saturday's vote will mark Afghanistan's first democratic transition of presidential power in history. It comes at a critical time as the NATO coalition prepares to withdraw its forces by December, leaving Afghan forces on their own to continue the fight against the Taliban insurgency.
Source/Fuente: http://www.tolonews.com/elections2014/afghan-pro-democracy-group-pushes-...
