AT-KABUL: More than 800,000 people have registered to vote in the October legislative and district councils elections, said the Independent Election Commission, calling the number dissatisfying that should increase.
Commissioner of the election commission, Sayed Hafizullah Hashemi said they would use any possible way to encourage people to take part in the elections.
The voter registration process that started on April 14, would conclude within two weeks.
“We hope the registration process accelerates. This number of people registered in the 1,419 registration centers initially opened and more people would register in the second round that 7,000 centers will be opened,” Hashemi said, adding that 44 centers remained closed due to security issues.
He said that security officials in frequent meetings with the electoral commission had assured of security in the registration centers.
Several suicide bombings have been carried out on the voter registration centers in Kabul, Ghor, Badghis, Baghlan and Nangarhar. The deadliest one in the west part of Kabul killed more than 60 people and injured nearly 200.
Meanwhile, Naeim Ayoubzada, head of Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan, said registration process was not satisfying. “We are concerned on this problem, the problems have not been attended. The election commission should have taken measures to resolve the problems.”
He emphasized that the commission should hold further awareness programs and work with the monitoring organs and civil society to remove the challenges.