Candidate registration process kicks off

KABUL and district council polls, an official said.

Abdul Badee Sayyad, the IEC chief, told a press conference in Kabul that comprehensive preparations had been made for candidates’ registration.

He promised the commission would maintain its independence in all electoral processes and would not be influenced by anybody. Transparency was the motto the commission adhered to, he said.

“People’s votes are sacred and the commission would protect them,” he remarked, urging political parties, civil society, candidates and the international community to cooperate with the panel on preventing fraud.

Sayyad called on all candidates to avoid showing their power and flexing muscles at the hustings and conduct their campaigns in a responsible manner and in line the relevant law.

The IEC chief also asked the government to maintain its impartiality and fulfill its obligations in terms of security, financing, distribution of information, prevention of fraud and arresting the cheats.

Meanwhile, the voter registration process in also in progress. So far, more than three million people had been documented as voters, including 900,000 women, he concluded.

Awal Rahman Rodwal, provincial IEC chief, told Pajhwok the registration process began at around 8am and at least 500 candidates were issued with registration forms till 11am in Kabul.

“Today, a large number of our friends referred to IEC to run for Wolesi Jirga and district council elections. They would come back to the commission after filling out the forms to submit their documents.”

The process will continued from till June 12.

sa/mud