Many say their names missing from voter lists

KABUL (Pajhwok): Many people in some provinces, including capital Kabul, on Saturday said they did not find their names on voter lists at polling stations and were told their names have been deleted.

Voting in the presidential polls began on Saturday across the country and at least 14 candidates contested the election.

Earlier, 18 individuals had registered as presidential candidates but four of them later opted out of the contest.

Pajhwok Afghan News findings show a number of people were deprived of casting their votes as their names were deleted from the biometric system.

Zaki Daryabi on his Facebook page said his name had been deleted in the biometric system and he could not cast his vote.

Nilofar Muradi, another Facebook user, posted a picture of a voter Mohammad Afzal whose name had been deleted from the voter list.

A Pajhwok reporter met with seven people at polling stations in Rabia Balkhi girls’ high school in 4^th police district of Kabul City who said their names were missing from the voter lists.

Those interviewed said they had registered as voters in the same polling stations but they did not find their names in voter lists there.

Nasima, 45, told Pajhwok she had registered as voter and had voted in the Wolesi Jirga election but her name was not there now.

She said her name was deleted without any reason and she was deprived of casting here vote for a presidential candidate.

She said not only her name but five people more she knew who also had registered their names along with her in the same polling station faced the same fate.

The same problem plagued the Haji Mohammad Daad mosque polling stations in the same police district of Kabul city.

A voter, who wished to go unnamed, told Pajhwok: “I registered my name in this polling station and voted in the Wolesi Jirga election as well but now officials say my name has been deleted from the voter lists and if he votes, it would not be counted.”

He said a number of other individuals’ names had been deleted from the voter lists, something he called injustice.

Mohammad Abid, a resident of the 3^rd police district of Kabul City, told Pajhwok he had registered his name in Mohmood Hotaki high school and cast his vote in Wolesi Jirga election but his name was no there today.

A number of other people in Kandahar, Parwan, Kapisa, Punjshir, Herat, Takhar and Nangarhar faced the same issue and their names were missing from voter lists.

Habib Rahman Nang, Independent Election Commission (IEC) secretary, told Pajhwok that some individuals’ names might be deleted due to technical problems but the voters could cast their vote.

He said if someone’s name was included in biometric system or voter lists, then they could to cast their vote.

Khuwaja Basir Fitri

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