- Title: Afghans have peace, fair votes on their mind ahead of presidential polls
- Date: 24th September 2019
- Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) AFGHAN FREESTYLE CYCLER ASGHAR MEHRZADA JUMPING OVER RAMPS AT HIS CYCLING CLUB ASGHAR RIDING BICYCLE OVER OBSTACLE ASGHAR AND HIS TEAMMATES PRACTICING FREESTYLE CYCLING ASGHAR TALKING TO HIS TEAMMATES AT CYCLING CLUB (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) 21-YEAR-OLD FOUNDER OF AFGHANISTAN'S FIRST FREESTYLE CYCLING CLUB, ASGHAR MEHRZADA, SAYING: "I'm Asghar Mehrzada, head of 'Peace and Freestyle' organisation and 'Drop and Ride' club. Regarding the upcoming election, I hope that it will be a transparent election and the new president can get our country out of the current crisis and we can achieve peace and stability." AFGHAN ROLLERBLADER MOHAMMAD RAFI SULTANI SKATING BETWEEN OBSTACLES AT CYCLING CLUB MOHAMMAD RAFI JUMPING OVER A BIKE MOHAMMAD RAFI PERFORMING ROLLERBLADING MOVES / CYCLISTS CLAPPING CYCLISTS CHEERING MOHAMMAD RAFI (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) 20-YEAR-OLD AFGHAN ROLLERBLADER, MOHAMMAD RAFI SULTANI, SAYING: "I'm Mohammad Rafi Sultani, I am 20 years old and a member of 'Kabul Skate' team in Kabul. My view on the election is that we must all go to the polls and vote to elect the next president. We want to have a good president in the future so that he can serve all the people, especially the athletes." BLACKSMITHS WORKING AT FORGING WORKSHOP / SCHOOL CHILDREN AND OTHER PEOPLE WALKING ON SIDEWALK VARIOUS OF AFGHAN BLACKSMITH MOHAMMAD ASHRAF AND HIS COLLEAGUES HAMMERING A PIECE OF HOT IRON AT THEIR FORGING WORKSHOP HOT IRON PIECE UNDER HAMMERING (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) AFGHAN BLACKSMITH, MOHAMMAD ASHRAF, SAYING: "I'm Mohammad Ashraf, son of blacksmith Haji Habibullah. I've been a blacksmith for 20 years and we want to have a good election. I call on all people to vote for a good and righteous person as the next president." MEN PUSHING WHEELBARROWS AT AN ALLEY WOMEN'S BAKERY AFGHAN FEMALE BAKER ZAINAB BAKING BREAD AT HER BAKERY ZAINAB LOOKING TO FLAMES OF FIRE IN OVEN ZAINAB'S FACE ZAINAB HOLDING THE BREAD WITH SKEWER (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) AFGHAN FEMALE BAKER, ZAINAB, SAYING: "I'm Zainab, I am 40 years old and I want a good person to win the upcoming election, a person who can create job opportunities and bring security to the country. We don't ask for getting any food as God is the best provider." ZAINAB PULLING OUT THE BREAD FROM OVEN AFGHAN FEMALE STUDENT AND SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST PASHTANA DURRANI ENTERING THE CLASS AND SITTING NEAR TO HER CLASSMATES VARIOUS OF PASHTANA TALKING TO HER CLASSMATES PASHTANA'S HAND WHILE HOLDING PEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD PASHTANA DURRANI, AFGHAN FEMALE STUDENT AND SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST, SAYING: "Salam Alaikum (Hello), my name is Pashtana Durani, I'm a 21-year-old, social and political activist, I'm student of American University of Afghanistan. I run a small non-profit NGO called 'Learn Afghanistan'. We focus on mainly on democratisation and the right to identity and nationality and I'm very hopeful for the upcoming elections of Afghanistan because this will be my first time to vote for the candidate as a democratic as a citizen of Afghanistan and also exercise and practice my right of democracy in Afghanistan." MARBLE FACTORY A STONEMASON CARRYING MARBLE PIECE STONEMASON TALKING TO HEAD OF MARBLE FACTORY MIR WALI AHMADZAI STONEMASON CUTTING THE MARBLE STONE (SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) MIR WALI AHMADZAI, HEAD OF MARBLE FACTORY, SAYING: "My name is Mir Wali Ahmadzai, I am 40 years old and head of a marble factory. ElectionS will be held in a few days and we hope that a good person will be elected as the next president. All our compatriots are happy that the election will take place." EXTERIOR OF THE MARBLE FACTORY AFGHAN FLAG SHOPPERS WALKING OUT FROM CLOTHES STORE SIGN READING (Dari and English) "MALEKA FASHION" VARIOUS OF AFGHAN SHOPKEEPER SAYED NOMAN SHOWING THE CLOTHES TO SHOPPERS SAYED TIDYING UP THE DRESS DRESS AT CLOTHES STORE (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) SAYED NOMAN, AFGHAN SHOPKEEPER, SAYING: "My name is Sayed Noman, I am 25 years old and one of the shopkeepers in Kabul. We are concerned about how the election will be held because most of the areas are under the control of the Taliban and the election will not be held at those areas, that's why we're worried that fake votes will be used in those areas." VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF SHOPPING MALLS IN KABUL
- Embargoed: 8th October 2019 11:13
- Keywords: Afghanistan presidential election corruption security Taliban fraud votes jobs
- Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- City: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AY5LQVB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: When Afghanistan's some 9.6 million registered voters go to the polls on Saturday (September 28), they will be looking for peace, stability, and "a righteous person" to lead the war-torn country.
Tens of thousands of soldiers, police and civilians have been killed in the last five years, leaving Afghans weary of endless violence and widespread corruption in public life.
Though election officials say preparations are well in hand, security worries could lead many to stay at home, potentially undermining the legitimacy of the eventual winner if turnout is too low. The Taliban have made no secret of their aim of disrupting the election, when President Ashraf Ghani will be bidding for a second five-year term.
The 70-year-old, U.S.-trained former World Bank official came to power in 2014 after winning a bitterly disputed election marred by accusations of cheating. He is widely expected to win again.
Having taken office as most foreign troops were leaving, with a much-reduced NATO alliance mission focused mainly on training local forces, his government has struggled to combat a growing Taliban insurgency.
Despite the security problems, many Afghans appreciate Ghani's anti-corruption policies, opening of economic corridors with regional powers, and appointing of young and educated Afghans in top government positions.
Ghani is up against a crowded field of 15 candidates, including long-term rival Abdullah Abdullah, now serving as the country's Chief Executive as a legacy of the bitterly disputed 2014 election.
Also on the ballot this time around is Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former warlord whose fighters are accused of killing thousands in Kabul during the 1990s civil war.
(Production: Aziz Mohammad, Mohammad Akram, Samargul Zwak, Sayed Hassib, Hameed Farzad, Phyllis Xu) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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