Lawmakers in Afghanistan’s Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) on Monday approved a draft plan to regulate salaries for district council members. 
 
Based on the draft plan, members of provincial councils who are employed as teachers or who have a government job will not be paid; however members who are not civil servants will get salaries.  
 
“Those who serve as teachers, and government employees, their salaries and privileges must be protected and they should continue with their jobs, but those who have no jobs, they must be paid,” said an MP Muhayyuddin Mahdi. 
 
According to the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) up to now 3,731 candidates have registered to run for district council elections. Of those registered, 271 are female candidates. 
 
But not a single woman has registered as a candidate in six provinces, while in other provinces the number is much lower compared to their male counterparts, said the IEC.
 
In this episode host Sadaf Amiri discusses the topic with the following guests: 
 
Muhammad Naeem Ayoubzada, Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan (TEFA) head 
Mohiuddin Mahdi, MP
Tabish Frogh, election affairs expert