Head of Independent Election Commission (IEC) Fazal Ahmad Manawi expressed concerns about the delay in voter registration process for the coming President election in March 2014, the time schedule as per constitutional conditions. Prevailing insecurity in parts of the country, absence of census data and lack of sufficient funds are main obstacles for the process.

Manawi urged the international community to provide IEC with funds needed to start the registration drive, asking the Government to take necessary administrative and technical steps for this process to be launched, as IEC is running out of time and further delay can make inevitable postponement of the polls, which would cause a constitutional crisis.

International community engaged in Afghanistan should ensure timely provision of sufficient financial, security and political support needed for a peaceful, transparent elections and smooth transition of power in 2014.
About $80 million is needed for the voter registration campaign. The current delay on part of international donors who have pledged to contribute could make bigger hurdles in the process and cause a political crisis in 2014.

The concerned authorities need to do much more than assisting IEC in voter registration. Afghan opposition political parties have been calling for restoration of credibility to the electoral process. The debate about changes in election law and formal participation of political parties are popular demands which should be considered with serious intentions by the concerned authorities.

Transparent transfer of power is most crucial for smooth transition of the current process established after the ouster of Taliban. The international community must make sure that a free, fair, transparent and independent election is held in 2014.

Domestically, there are preparations and uncertainties about the 2014 polls. Without strong support from the international community—financial, technical, political and security—it would be impossible for Afghanistan to hold peaceful elections for a smooth transition of power.

Only a transparent elections and legitimate transfer of power can ensure political stability and continuation of the post-Taliban democratic process. The international community must ensure peaceful transition of power strengthening our fragile and infant democratic process.

IEC leadership's responsibility is to make their concerns expressed in public by regular media statements about the delay in voter registration process and formally request international community about the financial assistance they have pledged for elections.