Monitoring Desk
KABUL: The voter’s registration process for the upcoming parliamentary and districts council elections launched on April 14 has so far failed to attract maximum number of aspirants in capital Kabul and other provinces of the country.
According to a survey conducted by Afghan Islamic Press in different provinces, most of the people are not interested in registration as voter due to fear of government’s armed opponents.
In Wardak province which is neighboring Kabul, only six persons registered themselves to vot on the first day of the launch of the registration process but the count claimed to around 100 in the next three days.
Dr. Zaman Kamal, a trial elder in Wardak province, told AIP that though the registration process has not yet been launched in the districts, the people are least interest in the process to be registered as voter in districts due to Taliban fear.
It appears that only the people of Behsud district may resister themselves to vote but the people of Chak, Saidabad, Jaghato, Jalrez, Narkh and Jelga districts may ignore the process, he said.
He continued that the registration process was started in provincial capital Maidan Shahar but the turnout was very low and the centre even failed to register 100 people in the past four days.
A specific sticker is attached to the original identity cards (tazkira) on registration as voter due to which the people fear that Taliban may create problems for them on finding the sticker with their national identity cards, he said. The residents of western Kabul, however, showed keen interest in registering themselves as voter, compared to other areas of the capital.
Muhammad Ali, official of voters’ registration centre in Dasht-e-Burchi, told AIP that though there was no rush of people at the centre on first day, long queues of people were seen in the next three days.
In Mahmood Hottak Centre, Mirwais Maidan, only six persons were registered on first day but the number increased to upto 50 the next three days.
Similarly, 60 voters were registered in Kabul’s 5th Police district during the past four days while no enthusiasm was witnessed among the people in 10th police district.
Nawaz Khan, a resident of 10th police district, told AIP that the people did not take interest in registering themselves as voter because they have no trust in elections. The registration of women voters was also very low in the past four days.
Mahmooda Taqwa, a civil society activist, said though there were women sections at the voters’ registration centre, but the women do not come to the centre.
She said if the same trend continues it would be a question mark on the legality of the election.
In Paktika province, only a limited number of people turned to the registration centres, but people of Herat were seen much interested in the process.
The process has also failed to attract people in Northern provinces.
Waseema Badghisi, deputy operation director of Independent Election Commission, said the process was slow because the people were not familiar to the condition of the process.
She said the commission has started public aware programs and the people interest in the process would increase in the days to come.
She said the voter registration would last for around three months.
