FEFA Concerns over Voter Registration Process
After the voter registration process launched in Afghanistan, Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA), says people are not fully aware of the process and their presence, especially women has been very low.
After the voter registration process launched in Afghanistan, Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA), says people are not fully aware of the process and their presence, especially women has been very low.
“700 observers monitored the first days of voter registration process in Kabul and the rest of provinces,” FEFA said.
The election commission started the voter registration process four days ago. The parliamentary and district councils elections are expected to be held on 20 October. According to the commission, the process will continue from 23 May in provincial centers and from 25 to 28 May in district centers and from 30 to 12 June in villages. About 12,000 people have registered themselves during past four days, of which, 25percent are women.
“Most of the people do not have information about the timing and method of registration,” said Yusuf Rashid, the executive director of FEFA.
FIFA findings also show that the first phase of registration has been accompanied by serious difficulties; many registration centers lacked a sign-board showing the registration center. According to the findings, few people referred to the registration centers for concerning over their ID cards being marked by the election commission.
FEFA has asked the government and election commission to increase campaigns in regard with the election and raise the public confidence in the work of the commission.
The government of Afghanistan said it does everything to transparently and comprehensively hold the election, but Taliban considered the upcoming election as symbolic and asked the people not attend the process.
in 2014 presidential election, only those who had the Electoral Commission voting card could cast their votes, but rival candidates believed that these cards were abused and provided fraud, since a voter may have taken more than one card. Now, the government decided to hold the election based on national ID cards, but the holders should first register themselves. In addition, those who do not have the card must take one.
A large number of people do not have ID cards due to 3 decades war in Afghanistan. Yet, a number of MPs also expressed concerns over people’s participation in voter registration process.
