Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

IEC to Start Work on Voters List in April

IEC to Start Work  on Voters List in April

KABUL - The IEC said they will hire between 30,000 and 40,000 people on a contract basis to register eligible voters for the upcoming elections.
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Saturday said they will start the registration process of people on April 4 in order to compile a voters list for the upcoming parliamentary and district council elections. 
IEC operational deputy chiefWasimaBadghisi said between 30,000 and 40,000 employees will be recruited to register people from around the country.
According to Badghisi, the recruitment of staff has already started. They will be short-term contract workers.
This is the first time that a voters list is being prepared in Afghanistan. According to analysts, a voters list plays a significant role in ensuring a transparent election. 
According to Badghisi, to draw up the voters list will take three months.
“The process of recruiting employees for preparation of the voters list has started,” said Badghisi.
The IEC has said that the elections will be a paper-ballot and that paper ID cards will be used. As such, the population registration office is processing paper identity cards – Tazkira - to those who do not already have them.
The IEC said people have until April to apply for their Tazkiras.
Statistics show that around 50 percent of Afghan people do not have identity cards.
“The population registration office will roll-out Tazkiras to facilitate the process,” said Badghisi.
The institutions overseeing the election process meanwhile said a voters list can help ensure a transparent election.
“I think preparing a voters list is a big step toward holding a transparent election; if the commission registers the voters based on the election law and in a transparent way,” Naeem Ayubzada, head of Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan said.
The election staff that will be recruited to register people will use a registration book to enter the identities of all those with Tazkiras.
Once this has been done, the IEC staff member will stamp the back of each Tazkira. On election day, only voters with a stamped Tazkira will be eligible to vote. (Tolo news)