Voter registration delayed

KABUL (PAN): The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Monday announced delaying the voter registration process for 2014 presidential and provincial council polls was delayed by a month.

In line with a revised plan, the campaign would begin on May 26, 2013 rather than Apr 21, a statement from the commission said.

The delay will enable the panel to include enhanced security features in a newly-designed voter registration card in accordance with requisite operational and procurement procedures.

“New security features will include a registered 3D hologram, the “guilloche” pattern which is difficult to reproduce, and other invisible marks,” the statement added.

The cards would be issued to an estimated 4 million voters, without any compromise on the timeframe for subsequent electoral activities such as candidate nomination and election day, Chief Electoral Officer Ziaul Haq Amarkhel said.

Returning refugees, those who reach 18 years of age on or before April 5, the individuals who have lost their previous cards or whose cards are significantly damaged will receive fresh cards

Eligible voters who did not obtain the documents in the past or moved from one electoral constituency to another will also receive the cards.

The decision will allow the IEC more time for coordination with the Ministry of Interior on the delivery of computerised ID cards, which will be also considered an eligible voting document.

myn/mud

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