KABUL - Ziaulhaq Amarkhail, the head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), said on Friday that security institutions must share the un-doctored outcomes of their security assessments regarding the April elections before January 5.

The IEC shared the list of planned polling stations with security officials of the Afghan military, intelligence and police fourteen months ago. Now, as questions about whether or not the elections will be held on time or if they will be legitimate continue to circulate, the IEC awaits the results of the security assessments.

"The IEC has demanded the security institutions share the outcomes of their security assessments and evaluations before the 5th of February," Amarkhail said. "These assessments should be conducted accurately and the security institutions should have considered security of the elections countrywide."

The findings of the assessments will be critical, as officials and the public alike are most concerned about insecurity threatening the elections. Many fear security issues could inhibit proper oversight of the vote, allowing improprieties to go unchecked, while still more worry that the perception of insecurity could lead to voters not showing up to the polls.

Public awareness is one of the important jobs of the IEC, and it has reportedly dispatched nearly 1,600 employees to towns, villages and remote regions of the country to build knowledge about the elections and urge people to participate.

"We will also launch a massive media campaign to enhace public awareness about the elections and already we have dispatched 1,590 workers in the towns and villages of the country to persuade the people vote in the elections," Amarkhail said.

The April vote will determine who succeeds Hamid Karzai, potentially marking the first democratic transition of Presidential power in Afghan history. There are 11 candidates registered for the race, and their campaigns will start on February 2. (Tolo News)