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Security, cultural constraints main obstacle for Afghan female candidates

2009-08-10 08:16 BJT

Special Report: Afghan presidential election |

KABUL, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Insecurity has created a limitation to some political rights of candidates during the campaign period, limiting the rights of freedom of expression as well as freedom of gathering for some candidates especially for females, the Head of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission Sima Samar said Sunday.

"None of the three female provincial council candidates stood in southern Kandahar province due to security threats, neither of them ever made public campaign in the south," she told reporters in a joint press conference with top UN envoy Kai Eide.

On July 30, night letters were spreading in the neighborhood where one female candidate lives in Takhar province in the north, warning her to stop campaigning or she will suffer consequences, Samar said.

Afghanistan's second presidential and provincial council election in the post Taliban country set for August 20 as Taliban militants have vowed to disturb it and close all road one day before the elections.

 

Editor: Yang Jie | Source: Xinhua