KABUL - Nearly two million people participated in Afghan presidential vote last month, an election watchdog said on Wednesday.
Earlier, the Independent Election Commission announced voter turnout as 2.7 million.
Nearly 21 percent of those participated were women, Sughra Saadat of Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan, said at a press conference.
She said that 721 polling centers did not open on the Election Day due to security threats, lack of election staff, materials or change of location centres to unspecified locations.
20.7 percent of polling centers opened after hours of delay.
8.1 percent of polling stations were facing the problem of lack of staff. 17.3 percent of polling stations for women had inadequate or no female staff, a major reason for low participation of women, Saadat said.
In 31.6 percent of polling stations, voters could not find their names neither on biometric devices, nor papers.
Meanwhile, TEFA director Naeem Ayoubzada said that the electoral commissions were under political pressure.
He said that there was also disagreement between IEC’s secretariat and its commissioners. (1TV News)