MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): The Independent Election Commission (IEC) regional office in northern Balkh province said on Tuesday around 400 people have registered as voters over the last four days in the province for the upcoming presidential election.
The voter registration process for the upcoming presidential election was launched in 23 centers on last Saturday in Balkh.
Thirteen voter registration centres were opened in districts and another 10 in Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital.
Izzatullah Arman, IEC head for Balkh province, told Pajhwok Afghan News around 400 individuals had been so far registered as voters in certain centers.
According to his information, within the past four days, four people on average have registered themselves as voter each centre in a day. He said the number of people registering was less compared to the eligible population of the province.
He said the IEC regional office in Balkh province had conducted a public awareness program to encourage people register in the process.
Ahmad Samim, a resident of Mazar-i-Sharif city, and head of a voter registration centre at 3rdpolice district, told Pajhwok nearly 20 people have registered as voters in the last four days in the centre.
He said they had separate sites for women and men to register and four to five people get their voter cards on daily basis on average in a center.
Most people registering in the process are those who are displaced from their areas or became eligible over the last five years, he said.
Rajab Khan, a civil society activist, told Pajhwok that people were not aware about the voter registration started.
He criticized the IEC for not doing its responsibilities and providing public awareness programs to people.
He urged all the residents of Balkh to register in the voter registration process and choose their future president.
A number of other residents have held similar views and urged the IEC officials to launch public awareness programs for voters in the province.
Bakh IEC director said insecurity and presence of Taliban militants in some districts were still hurdles against the process.
Pk/mds