Although Bamiyan is considered one of the safest provinces in the country, the results of the election day show that less than fifty percent of the 171,000 registered voters participated in the presidential election, the Bamyan Electoral Complaints Commission said Sunday.

The commission said that approximately 83,000 people participated in the voting process. and that 51 percent of the voters were women.

“The turnout compared to the parliamentary election in 2018 was about 128,000 participants, but this year only about 60 or 65 percent of those people participated. There should have been more participants and there weren't,” said Qasim Qasem, the commission head in Bamyan.

A day after the election a number of ballot boxes from the polling stations in Bamyan province reached the province center, the city of Bamiyan.

Doubts about the transparency of the process have led many people to be critical of the election and to opt out.

“There should be an election where people's votes are truly valued and not a fraudulent election,” said a resident.

“People’s votes should be considered and whoever deserves to be elected by the people should go to the president's office,” said another resident.

The Bamyan Electoral Complaints Commission says nearly thirty complaints have so far been filed in the province, most of them due to biometric devices not working and a lack of voter names in voting lists.

Officials in neighboring Daikundi province claim that 100,000 people voted, 50% of registered voters were women, and no centers were closed. Out of 170 centers, 50 have still not provided results.