Almost three years since the downfall of the Taliban-Al Qaida terrorist regime, the men and women of Afghanistan will go to the polls on Saturday to cast their votes and freely elect the country’s President according to the new Afghan Constitution.

“This is an event of historic proportions,” says Omar Samad, the new Afghan Ambassador to Canada.” He adds, “It is not only significant for more than 11 million registered Afghan voters, but also for the international community, including Canada, that has had a constructive engagement in the process of change in Afghanistan.”

Internationally supervised presidential elections will take place on October 9 inside Afghanistan and in refugee camps in Pakistan and Iran. Election results will gradually be announced as they are known and a final tally is expected by the end of October.

Ambassador Samad, who arrived in Canada from Kabul two weeks ago, will be available for media interviews starting on Friday, October 8. He worked as the spokesperson of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs until his appointment to Ottawa.

He will be in Montreal from October 10 to 11th. and in Toronto on October 15 and 16th. He is available in Ottawa for the rest of the week.

To schedule an interview, please contact Roxane Lafrance at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Ottawa at (613) 563.4223 (ext.10) or Mr. Tamim Amini at (613) 878.4223, or send an email to info@afghanistanembassy.ca or afghanembott@hotmail.com