Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

IEC Registers 1,000 Election Observers

IEC Registers 1,000  Election Observers

KABUL - The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said on Monday that over 1,000 individuals belonging to various media outlets and civil society groups have registered their names to be election observers. This figure is expected to increase to 3,000 by the April 5 election day.

The announcement comes amidst anxieties about the integrity of the electoral process, which has already been questioned on more than one occasion.

With the April vote marking what could be the first democratic transition of Presidential power in Afghan history and coming the year the NATO combat mission ends, the elections are under immense scrutiny and the IEC is largely responsible for their credibility.

"Special mechanisms have been undertaken for these elections, parties and observers are allowed to visit all the polling stations," IEC spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor said. "This kind of mechanism wasn't implemented in the 2009 and 2010 elections and observers were present only in the center of the provinces, but this time they will be able to visit any polling booth."

The 2009 Presidential elections were marred in controversy with widespread fraud and voter intimidation documented.

The IEC added that it has sent a letter to the European Union (EU) requesting that it introduce its observers and loan them to the IEC for the elections in the spring.

The Free & Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) has said that it will assign some 7,000 observers to help monitor the elections.

"FEFA wants to send observers to 34 provinces," FEFA spokesman Mohammad Fahim said. "There is fear that insecurity will create some problems for the observers, but we intend to have crucial observance from the election process."

The (FEFA) has said that if all observers aren't provided equal opportunity to monitor the elections, their transparency could be affected. (Tolo News)