It wasn't security concerns that prompted Afghan officials to delay upcoming presidential elections, but rather the harsh winter that has rendered many parts of the country inaccessible, says the governor of Kandahar province.
Speaking to Canada AM from Ottawa, Gov. Tooryalai Wesa dismissed reports that ongoing Taliban violence prompted the delay.
The election -- only the second time Afghans will participate in a democratic process to choose their president -- has been moved from late April to Aug. 20.
"The reason for postponing the election is not the insurgency, the security situation. It is because of the severe winter we're having here in Afghanistan. Some of the places are very difficult to reach here in the country because of snow and heavy rain," the governor told CTV's Canada AM.
Wesa, who was an agriculture expert at the University of British Columbia and has lived in Coquitlam, B.C. for 13 years , said he recently returned from a visit to Kandahar City where it rained for a week straight, making many of the province's roads unusable.
Last year was an especially violent one in Kandahar, with more than 1,000 violent incidents on record, the vast majority of which were attributed to the Taliban.
More than 100 Canadian soldiers have now been killed in Afghanistan -- most in the volatile Kandahar province in the south of the country.
Wesa acknowledged that "at some point" ongoing violence was considered in the election-planning process, but other concerns are more pressing.
"The commission was not well prepared to reach all the election centres with the proper equipment and tools they were supposed to deliver. There were some delays in that because of the transportation situation," Wesa said.
NATO has welcomed the delay, suggesting it provides the time needed to help the Afghan government bolster security measures.
Wesa said Afghans are hopeful that the security situation is getting better.
"The slogan for 2009 is change. And we are expecting some change, and there are some peaceful days ahead, that is what the people are expecting," he said.
"Most Afghans are optimistic they will pass this hard time and reach a peaceful time."
The U.S. is planning to dramatically increase its troop presence in Afghanistan, adding an estimated 20,000 troops over the next year and a half.
Many predict that troop surge will actually increase the number of violent incidents in the country.
Wesa, who is married and has three children, was the first president of Kandahar University, until he left in 1991.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai appointed Wesa as Kandahar governor in December.
