KABUL - Afghan legislators and members of the public are up in arms over persistent delays in ratifying the long-awaited census law.
MPs slammed government on Sunday over its continued reluctancy to dispatch the law to parliament for debate.
In reference to speculation over government's lack of commitment to finalize the law, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said Sunday that the amended draft law is now with the law commission of the MoJ and that it will be soon be referred to parliament for ratification.
The statement comes just weeks after government finally decided to include ethnicity in the transcript of the population registration law and electronic National identity cards (e-NIC).
"The law was amended a month ago. However the law so far has not reached parliament, they should have transferred the law to the House of Representatives already. It looks like government is not committed to conducting parliamentary and district council elections," MP Fakoor Behishti said.
Article 6 of the population registration law was one of the controversial items of the law, which restricted ethnicity being mentioned in e-NIC, an issue which has delayed the distribution of e-NIC for years. However government now says that ethnicity has been included but there are other issues that are slowing down the distribution process.
"The population registration law is now being processed by the law commission and soon it will be referred to the cabinet, we hope that the law is soon referred to parliament," Justice Minister Basir Anwari said.
Continued delays in the past over the distribution of e-NIC finally resulted in international aid being terminated by donors.
"The European Union as one of the key donors, over different sessions, announced that if the process is started again, they will continue their cooperation in all fields including financial, technical and operation assistance," head of e-NIC department Humayoun Muhtat said.
Meanwhile, residents have also asked government to take steps to launch the process to end peoples' concerns.
"A year has passed since e-NIC came under discussion, huge money was spent, but no results," Kabul resident Naibi said.
"A single person is holding ten ID cards, the government is aware of this, foreigners have obtained Afghan ID cards in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Parwan provinces," another resident Ahmad Fahim said. (Tolonews)