IEC Likely to Extend Voter Registration for Upcoming Elections

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) may extend the voter registration period as the commission has so far registered a fewer number of voters for the upcoming parliamentary and district council elections.

“If people’s participation were proved less, then other alternative options could be to extend the voter registration in the cities,” said Maliha Hassan, a commission of the IEC.

According to IEC, since the beginning of the voter registration process, 189,061 voters have been registered across the country.

Kabul among the provinces that has registered 60,244 voters so far, followed by Kandahar (27,410), Herat (10,970) and Balkh (9412). However, in Maidan Wardak province has for only 227 voters have been registered.

“With current plan of the election commission, nobody could fraud in the elections, because a voter should be present and vote with his/her tazkira that will have a sticker on its backside,” Mullah Mohammad Paiman, a political commentator.

This comes as the first phase of voter registration process for October 20 elections is expected to continue until May 12 in centers of the provinces, and followed by the second and third phases of the process that will begin in districts and villages of the provinces.