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Afghans register to vote in elections
New York, Jan 23: More than half a million Afghans have registered to vote in this year`s parliamentary and presidential elections, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has announced.
New York, Jan 23: More than half a million Afghans have registered to vote in this year's parliamentary and presidential elections, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has announced.
A UNAMA spokesman reported that 507,513 people have enrolled to vote since registration began in early December, with women making up just over 112,000. Up to 10 million people are estimated to be eligible to vote.
The spokesman said there has been a spike in registrations in the capital, Kabul, since President Hamid Karzai registered there on Saturday. Registration remains confined to eight cities around Afghanistan, with the rest of the country to follow when the security situation improves.
The spokesman said UNAMA and the Joint Electoral Management Body are discussing a regulation that would outlaw multiple registrations by one person and impose financial penalties or jail terms for offenders. A civic education programme on the subject will also be introduced.
The spokesman said that on the day of the elections there would be procedures - such as marking voters' fingers with indelible ink - to prevent Afghans from voting more than once.
Senior Afghan officials from Bamiyan province and officials from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will travel to Iran to explain to Afghan refugees living there exactly what day-to-day conditions are like in Afghanistan.
The visit is the first of a series following an agreement reached between Iran and Afghanistan last year. More than 110,000 refugees from Bamiyan province alone are estimated to be living in Iran. Bureau Report
The spokesman said there has been a spike in registrations in the capital, Kabul, since President Hamid Karzai registered there on Saturday. Registration remains confined to eight cities around Afghanistan, with the rest of the country to follow when the security situation improves.
The spokesman said UNAMA and the Joint Electoral Management Body are discussing a regulation that would outlaw multiple registrations by one person and impose financial penalties or jail terms for offenders. A civic education programme on the subject will also be introduced.
The spokesman said that on the day of the elections there would be procedures - such as marking voters' fingers with indelible ink - to prevent Afghans from voting more than once.
Senior Afghan officials from Bamiyan province and officials from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will travel to Iran to explain to Afghan refugees living there exactly what day-to-day conditions are like in Afghanistan.
The visit is the first of a series following an agreement reached between Iran and Afghanistan last year. More than 110,000 refugees from Bamiyan province alone are estimated to be living in Iran. Bureau Report