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IEC to Use ‘Existing ID Cards’ in Upcoming Elections
The Independent Election Commission ( IEC ) on Wednesday said the existing National Identity Card (Tazkera) would be used in the upcoming parliamentary and provincial councils elections.
The commission has previously suggested a biometric system to identify and register voters for the upcoming elections; however, the plan was being failed due to lack of budget.
Wasima Badghisi , the operational Deputy of IEC said that the decision to use the existing ID cards in the next year's elections was taken after discussing the issue with political parties and civil society organizations.
The registration process of the voters will be started in March 2018 and Population Registration Department is expected to distribute the ID cards to 10 million eligible people.
"In the process of this method, transparency and justice are being considered in order to prevent any kind of deception [in elections]," said Guljan Abdul Badi Sayad, Spokesman for the IEC.
However, the observers believe the plan will have a negative impact on transparency of the elections.
"This plan is really challenging; it has many gaps and we hope the commission notice that, [the election commission] can't be prepared for registration process from a time point of view," Yusuf Rashid, the Executive Director of Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA).
Management crisis within the election commission and lack of voters' list are considered as major challenges for the upcoming parliamentary and the provincial councils elections which are due to be held in less than eight months.
Mawlawi Hebatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has issued a decree to establish special courts to address pensions, Bakhtar news agency reported on Saturday.
According to the decree, the courts must confirm and process pensions in accordance with Sharia and law.
Pensioners have repeatedly voiced concern over delay in payment, saying that their financial challenges are growing.
Earlier this year, IEA's supreme leader banned money being deducted from salaries of government employees for pensions.
He also requested information on the tenure of employees and the total amount deducted from salaries for pensions.
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Blinken urges immediate lifting of restrictions on women’s education and work in Afghanistan
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to immediately lift restrictions on women's education and work.
Marking two years of the ban on women's education in universities and women's work in NGOs, Blinken said on X that women and girls are the lynchpin to a more stable and prosperous Afghanistan.
“It’s been two years since Taliban (IEA) banned women and girls from universities and Afghan women from working in NGOs. Afghan women and girls are the lynchpin to a more stable, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan. We call on the Taliban (IEA) to immediately reverse these edicts,” he said.
The Ministry of Higher Education announced in December 2022 that women and girls could not attend public and private universities "until further notice".
Previously, girls' education above the sixth grade was also suspended.
Former US envoy for Afghanistan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Saturday that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) can learn from Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, on how to join the mainstream international system.
He noted on X that the US bounty for the arrest of Ahmad al-Sharaa is being removed.
“Others in similar circumstances can learn from Ahmad al Shara how to join the mainstream international system. Are the Taliban paying attention?” he said.
Ahmad al-Sharaa has said that there are many differences between them and the Islamic Emirate.
He has said that he will not prevent the education of women and girls, respect the rights of minorities and will launch an inclusive political process.
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