- Title: By donkeys and truck, ballot boxes are on the move ahead of Afghan elections
- Date: 27th September 2019
- Summary: PANJSHIR, AFGHANISTAN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2019) (REUTERS) TRUCK CARRYING ELECTION MATERIALS, FOLLOWED BY POLICE CAR AND OTHER VEHICLES ON NARROW HILLSIDE ROAD ARMED AFGHAN POLICEMEN STANDING GUARD ON MOUNTAINSIDE VARIOUS OF AFGHANISTAN ELECTION COMMISSION EMPLOYEES AND VILLAGERS UNLOADING BALLOT BOXES AND OTHER ELECTION MATERIALS FROM TRUCK ON HILLSIDE AFGHAN POLICEMEN WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS GUARDING THE AREA (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) AFGHAN ELECTION COMMISSION EMPLOYEE, (ONE NAME ONLY GIVEN), ZAMIR, SAYING: "There is no road leading to one of our polling stations and so we must transport our election materials using people and donkeys. As you can see here, we're moving them by donkey, so people can take part in the election and vote." VILLAGER WALKING ON MOUNTAIN WITH DONKEY DONKEY GETTING LOADED WITH LOTS OF PLASTIC CHAIRS MEN LOADING BALLOT BOXES ONTO DONKEY BALLOT BOXES TIED ONTO DONKEY MEN TALKING AFTER LOADING UP DONKEY (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) LOCAL RESIDENT, (ONE NAME ONLY GIVEN), HESAMUDDIN, SAYING: "We want a very fair and transparent election and there shouldn't be any fraud. The people's vote must be respected." BOY LEADING DONKEY LOADED WITH BALLOT BOXES DONKEY WITH CHAIRS GOING DOWN HILL MAN HOLDING ONTO BACK OF HEAVILY-LADEN DONKEY/PEOPLE BEHIND CARRYING ELECTION MATERIALS ARMED GUARDS ON HILLSIDE GUARDS LEADING BOYS WITH DONKEYS DOWN PATH WALKING DONKEYS DOWN SHADY PATH VARIOUS OF REMOTE VILLAGE IN SHOTUL DISTRICT OF PANJSHIR PROVINCE
- Embargoed: 11th October 2019 16:09
- Keywords: Afghanistan ballot boxes donkeys Panjshir province election election commission voting poll
- Location: PANJSHIR, AFGHANISTAN
- City: PANJSHIR, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYFLQH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As millions of Afghans are set to go to the polls on Saturday's (September 28) presidential election, officials have been rushing ballot boxes and other essential equipment out to remote polling centres using trucks, donkeys and even porters.
In northern Panjshir Valley voting material was taken by people and donkeys along narrow hillside paths due lack of roads.
About a dozen candidates are in the fray for the presidency but the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani and his chief executive Abdullah Abdullah are the top contenders for the job, at a time when Taliban insurgents have intensified attacks.
The 70-year-old Ghani and Abdullah, 59, have ruled through a fractured power-sharing arrangement since 2014, their forces fighting against the Taliban even as the rebels held peace talks with the United States that were later abandoned.
The Taliban hold more territory now than at any time since 2001 when their regime was overthrown by a U.S.-led invasion. More than 170 civilians have been killed and more than 300 wounded in attacks involving the Taliban in the run-up to the election.
One hundred thousand members of the security forces have been deployed to oversee the election.
The donkeys of Shotul were guarded by a squad of armed police as they trotted along the paths of Panjshir province carrying electoral material.
(Production: Aziz Mohammad, Sayed Hassib, Hameed Farzad, Hywel Davies) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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