The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Saturday kicked off the “supplementary” voter registration process for the presidential election slated for September. According to IEC, the drive will last for 20 days, and cost $23 million. Registration will remain open until June 29 in 705 centers to people who have turned 18, returned to country, and/or could not register their names last year.
Even though the voter registration is a positive development, there are still questions about the preparations for the democratic process. IEC is said to be behind schedule and faced with serious operational challenges. While the election is due to be held on September 28, the preparations taken so far are not sufficient for a transparent and fair election.
Meanwhile, some election watchdogs have voiced their concerns about voter registration, stressing that the process has been initiated without an appropriate public awareness campaign. According to them, constant public awareness initiatives should have been undertaken before and during the voter registration process in a bid to restore relative public faith in election, and convince people to some extent that their participation in the election has a role in shaping their communal fate.
Despite the launch of the supplementary voter registration process, the possibility of a delay in the upcoming presidential election can still not be ruled out. There is a fear that the government leadership lacks the political will to hold the election, and therefore individuals who lack relevant experience have been appointed to lead the electoral commissions. In addition to the problems in the electoral system, the inexperience of the leadership of election commissions further shrinks the chances to hold a transparent and fair election. If electoral preparations continue as now, first it does not seem feasible to organize the election on time, but even if it is held, chances are high that it will turn controversial. And if that happens as was the case in the previous two elections, it will become difficult for Afghan people to trust the democratic process in the future, something that will deal a major blow to the nascent democracy in Afghanistan.