Number of Afghans saying "country in right direction" unchanged: survey

Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-04 18:59:08|Editor: Shi Yinglun
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KABUL, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The number of Afghans who are saying "the country is moving in the right direction" has remained unchanged in compare with the year before, according to a survey report conducted by the Asia Foundation, an independent research center released here Tuesday.

In 2018, optimism about Afghanistan's direction has remained unchanged as like last year, 33 percent of the surveyed Afghans believe that despite the security challenges including Taliban insurgent's militancy and the growing presence of Islamic State (IS) outfit the war-battered country moves in right direction.

"This year's survey reveals a mix of hope and fear as Afghans look towards their future," Abdullah Ahmadzai, the Asia Foundation's country representative in Afghanistan, was quoted in the report on the entity's website.

"While the long delay in parliamentary elections, ongoing violence, and economic and employment challenges continue to color citizens' views, the empirical evidence in 2018 reveals an incremental rise in Afghans' confidence in democracy, elections, government institutions, and services. Clearly, even in the face of often seemingly imperceptible progress, Afghans are eager for a better future." he said.

However, fears about insecurity and the worsening economy, coupled with the long delay in the recent parliamentary elections, continued to influence Afghan citizens' views on the future of the country, according to the report.

The number of Afghans who say the country is moving in the wrong direction is also the same as last year which is 61 percent.

The survey was based on face-to-face interviews with a national sample of 15,012 Afghan citizens representing all major and minor ethnic groups in all 34 Afghan provinces.

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