Voter lists being prepared based on old National Identity Cards

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: Independent Election Commission (IEC) acting head Wasima Badghisi said on Wednesday that voter lists would be completed based on the old paper National Identity Cards (NICs).

Badghisi, addressing a ceremony introducing a new commissioner, said the commission was busy discharging its activities in districts and provinces and fresh voter lists would be arranged using the manual NIC cards.

Despite efforts to launch distribution of electronic NICs, the plan could not be implemented due to a deadlock in the lower house.

According to Badghisi, donors and the government had pledged to provide $29.4 million for the voters’ registration process.

The newly introduced commissioner Syed Hafizullah Hashami stressed the need for timely elections. He said the election process needed trust building and hard work in collaboration with other commissioners.

Hashami added the role of security institutions was vital in the conduct of elections and their greater coordination could ensure the environment of peace for people to turn out and vote without fear. He asked the government to address people’s concern election security.