News

Afghan election officials say that with just five days left to register, less than a quarter of the country's eligible voters have signed up to vote in next year's presidential ballot.

The April 5, 2014, election is considered critical as it comes just nine months before the final scheduled withdrawal of international combat troops from Afghanistan.

Noor Mohammed Noor, who is spokesman for the Independent Election Commission, said that roughly 12 million Afghans were eligible to vote, but barely 2.7 million had registered.

KABUL (PAN): People in Kabul and other provinces say they were pleased with the Independent Election Commission (IEC)’s decision whittling down the number of presidential candidates to 10 from 27 for the April 5 vote.

KABUL (PAN): The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Sunday announced an end to the candidate registration process ahead of next year’s landmark presidential and provincial council polls.

KABUL (PAN):  The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Wednesday said 1.5 million people had received voter cards since the beginning of the registration process on.
The commission focussed mostly on women and dwellers of remote areas with little access to registration centres, the IEC the spokesman said.

KABUL (PAN): Two leading civil society groups on Monday said their concerns about upcoming elections had increased due to lack of transparent and effective guidelines and the presence of biased commission members.
In a joint statement, Afghan Anti-Corruption Network (AACN) and Anti-Corruption Watch Organization said the nation was witness to fraudulent presidential and provincial council elections last time.

KABUL (PAN): Thirty likely presidential candidates, including important political figures, were issue

KABUL (PAN): Nearly one million people have so far obtained voter registration cards for the April 5 presidential and provincial council elections as part of the second phase of the campaign, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced on Saturday.

KABUL (PAN): A major coalition of political parties to be formed in the next few days would introduce a consensus nominee for the presidential election, a politician said on Wednesday.

KABUL (PAN): President Hamid Karzai is not backing any particular candidate for the April 5 presidential election, his spokesman said on Thursday, rejecting some media reports in this regard as baseless.

Aimal Faizi, the presidential spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News the president had started consultations and advisory meetings with political and jihadi leaders on the country’s political future, the upcoming elections and other issues of national interest.