NEILI (Pajhwok): Residents of central Daikundi province are complaining about the shortage of voter registration centers, saying women and people with disabilities are unable to register and vote in the upcoming presidential election due to impassable routes.
A number of residents of Daikundi say impassable routes and a hard terrain of the province would limit people’s, particularly women’s and disabled persons’ access, to voter registration centers.
Sudaba Mowahadi, a women’s rights activist, expressed her concern over what she said shortage of voter registration centers and told Pajhwok Afghan News that the Independent Election Commission (IEC) regional office’s plan for voter registration in Daikundi was ineffective and women would deprive of participating in the democratic process.
She said only one voter registration center on district capital level was not enough. “Women are economically depended and cannot go to district centers lonely, women in unstable districts such as Pato, Kajran and Nawamish are not allowed to visit district centers and attach voter stickers on their ID cards,” she added.
Mowahadi said people, particularly women, would be deprived of getting their voter cards until mobile registration teams were sent to villages and the IEC conducted public awareness programs.
Qamar Gul, a resident of Miramor district, said, “We last year did not get electoral stickers on our ID cards for some problems, but this year we even do not know whether the voter registration process has started or not.” She said no one had told them when to register for a voter card.
Meanwhile, Aqila, 56, a resident of Khadir district of the province, who lives in a remote area, said she was among many other women who could not get their voter cards.
“Our economic situation is not good and we cannot go to the district center for the registration process,” she said.
 “I am interested to have a voter card and choose my destiny but it is possible when we have the voter registration center is available here,” Aqila added.
Shazia, a resident of Pato district, said, “Whenever a woman gets sick in this district she is not taken to hospital in the district center or provincial capital. Men also do not let us participate in elections.” She said there were many other women like her who did not register in the process.
She asked the government to launch door to door registration process so all the people get their voter cards.
/ma