The Afghan government is obliged to distribute the national electronic ID cards immediately as the Population Registration Act has already been approved.

The Population Registration Act was approved at the end of President Hamid Karzai’s government and his successor President Ghani issued a decree to publish the law in the official gazette.

According to the law the distribution process of the electronic ID cards was supposed to be started, but it is still suspended.

Recently Chief Executive of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah announced during minister’s council that the process will be started on August 19, at Afghanistan’s Independence Day, but the due date is still in a vague.

Expert says,” Legally, any law after the Parliament approval and after the President signed is enforceable; therefore, the Population Registration Act is applicable, but there are some political issues and a number of circles have seized the law,” Abdul Subhan Mosbah deputy of Afghanistan’s Lawyers Union said.

After Minister’s Council decided to launch the distribution of e-ID cards President Ghani announced that technical issues still exist which delays the process, but officials in the electronic ID Card office said there are will prepared to start the process.

Now, a number of people and experts say they will not accept any excuse to delay the process anymore.

“There is no legal obstacle to distribute electronic ID cards, unfortunately the process was stopped by a verbal decree, even donors have warned to cut funds if the process delays anymore, there is no excuse to stop distribution process,” Senate member Faisal Samay said.

At the same time a number of civil society activists says the national unity government leaders are cheating people on due date of the process.

“Unfortunately Afghanistan’s political leaders deceive people, they always play with public opinions, if the process delays or stopped it will bring a huge distrust gap in the society which is harmful for the government and for the national unity,” Aziz Rafiy Managing Director of Afghan Civil Society Forum stated.

Delays in the distribution of the electronic ID cards process rose over the word ‘Afghan’ after a group of people asked to mention the word in the electronic ID card.

Reported by: Hameed Sediqi