KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Female candidates competing in Afghan elections Saturday are pawns of political strongmen financing their campaign, an activist says.
There are more than 2,500 candidates scheduled to compete for the 249 seats in the Wolesi Jirga. The number of women vying for the estimated 64 seats reserved for women rose from 328 in 2005 to 406 for the elections.
One campaigner for women's rights in Afghanistan said the high number of female candidates competing in the election is a growing sign of political manipulation.
Wajma Frogh, a women's rights activist in Afghanistan, told London's Independent newspaper that many female candidates are bankrolled by a warlords or tribal leaders.
"I know villagers who have sold their votes (to a candidate unnamed for security purposes) for $20," she said. "People will vote for her. Another very honest women's rights activist is not able to pay $20 a vote. She's not going to make it into parliament."
The presidential contest in Afghanistan in 2009 was marred by rampant fraud. Afghan elections officials said, however, that they have made improvements in the voting system in order to eliminate some instances of corruption.
The Independent adds that members of the Taliban have left threatening letters outside mosques across the country warning people not to take part in the election.
Authorities with the U.N. mission to Afghanistan warned that insecurity in the country could be the ultimate spoiler for the weekend election.
