Afghan election: Polls in Kandahar delayed a week

Kabul, Afghanistan – Parliamentary election in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province due to be held on Saturday, will be delayed by a week following the assassination of a powerful provincial police commander, according to the electoral body and the president’s spokesman.

President Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman Haroon Chakansuri told Al Jazeera the decision was made following demands from local people in the the province and recommendation from electoral officials.

The suspension of the polls comes following the assassination of Kandahar province’s police chief General Abdul Raziq in an attack claimed by Taliban.

The southern province’s intelligence chief, Abdul Mohmin, was also killed in the attack on Thursday.

Chakansuri said date for the poll will be announced later without giving further details.

Afghans will be voting on Saturday to elect members of parliament in polls delayed repeatedly for the past three years.

The interior ministry said they have put in place measures to ensure voting happens without incidents.

“The election is going according to plan. We have measures and we meet regularly. There will be no problem,” Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the interior ministry, told Al Jazeera.

“Over 70,000 security forces are there to maintain security. They are on high alert,” Rahimi said.