KABUL - Lawmakers in the Lower House of the parliament (Wolesi Jirga) from Jawzjan, Logar, Faryab, Nuristan and Nangarhar provinces said Tuesday that the recent security report submitted to the Independent Election Commission (IEC) did not accurately portray the security situation in their communities.

The security report submitted by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to the IEC last week said that nearly all polling centers would be open on election day in those five provinces. However, based on the current security situations in those areas, the MPs said that polling stations would not be able to open unimpeded.

The MPs applauded the security report as a big step toward holding more transparent elections, but added that in order to provide security officials needed to be honest about the challenges they face.

"We will not have polling centers in Khushi, Charkh and Kherwar Districts of Logar province, as we did not in the past election," MP Shekiba Hashimi said.

Based on the report submitted to the IEC, all polling centers will be open in Kandahar, Logar, Maidan Wardak, Kunduz, Nangarhar and Faryab. MPs from these areas, however, maintained that the Taliban was in control of districts in their provinces.

"Faryab's security situation is different than the MoI's security report, because the Taliban has a presence in a number of districts in the province," Faryab MP Bashir Ahmad Tayanj said.

"Right now, the government only has control of central districts, like Khogyani, Sherzad and Hesarak Districts," said MP Amir Khan Yar from Nangarhar province.

The MoI's report asserted that 94 percent of polling centers nationwide would be open on election day. (Tolonews)