Voter registration may be extended by 3 or 4 weeks

KABUL) has said more than 291,000 people have registered themselves as voters in provincial capitals as of Monday.

IEC commissioner Rafiullah Baidar and Population Registration Authority (PRA) head Mohammad Humayon Muhtat appeared before the Meshrano Jirga or Senate to brief lawmakers about the voter registration process, security issues, alleged distribution of fake forms of paper ID cards and attachment of a special sticker on paper cards.

“The voter registration process may be extended for three to four weeks in provincial capitals because people are unaware about the process which has been slow going,” said Baidar.

He added the IEC had demanded more money to pay salaries of its employees for the extended period and the government had agreed to the demand and might issue the payment in near future.  He added if needed the IEC was ready to extend the voter registration in district centers as well.

Answering a question from lawmakers, Baidar said: “Until now 11,000 individuals have been hired for the voter registration process and 22,000 more qualified individuals would be hired in the near future.”

Concerns over security situation, and fake NIPs distribution

Some lawmakers expressed concern over security of voter registration centers and distribution of fake NIPs and demanded the government take steps in this regard.

The IEC commissioner also demanded security institutions ensure security of voter registration centers so that people could visit the sites and register themselves as voters.

According to reports, 73 people have been killed and 121 others injured as a result of blasts on NIPs distribution and voter registration centers in Kabul, Badghis and Nangarhar provinces.

According to PRA head Muhtat, 469 PRA units are busy distributing NIPs to people. He also demanded improved security for voter registration facilities and added at least 100,000 NIPs were being distributed daily.

Lawmaker Nazar Mohammad Faqiri said he knew a person who had obtained five NIPs until now and would use them to vote five times.

According to Baidar, the IEC is sending doubtful NIPs to PRA for confirmation.

Concern over stickers on NIPs:

Some lawmakers were not happy with the attachment of stickers on NIPs and said some people did not want to the sticker on their NIPs because Taliban would identify them and the group has already threatened people against voting in the elections.

Senate chairman Fazal Hadi Muslimyar also expressed his reservations over security of voter registration sites and NIPs centres and said the interior minister had been summoned by next week to brief lawmakers about the issue.

nh/ma