IEC Criticizes People’s Poor Appearance in Voters’ Registration Process

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has criticized the low participation of people in voter registration ahead of parliamentary and district council elections scheduled to be held in the current year.

IEC warned that the people’s poor appearance in voters’ registration undermines the legitimacy of the forthcoming elections.

“Around five to seven million eligible have been estimated for the parliamentary and district council elections. But more than 600,000 citizens have been registered so far,” Hafizullah Hashemi, a member of IEC said.

In the meantime, the US Vice President Mike Pence in a phone call with President Ashraf Ghani highlighted the importance of holding democratic elections and political inclusion for the long-term stability and effectiveness of the Kabul government.

Currently, more than 1,400 voter registration centers are open in provincial centers, but people rarely seen for the registration.

The voter’s registration process for the upcoming parliamentary and districts council elections launched on April 14.

The elections are considered a dry run for the presidential vote to be held in 2019 and a test of whether Afghanistan’s Western-backed government can overcome past election problems of poor security and fraud.

President Ashraf Ghani and international donor countries have all said elections need to happen this year. Some Western diplomats doubt, however, that there is enough time to organize the vote in 2018.