KABUL (SW) – The Independent Election Commission has stated the offline version of biometric verification of voters would be used in the forthcoming Wolesi Jirga (lower house) elections.
This comes after mounting pressure by political parties forced the IEC to use the biometric technology in the forthcoming polls. The issue still remains a bone of contention as the agitating parties are pushing the IEC to use online version of the Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS).
But, the IEC spokesman, Hafizullah Hashemi, told Salam Watandar because of the fact that not all of Afghanistan's geography is covered by internet and telecommunication services, online version cannot be used. Prior to this, the Ministry of Telecommunications had informed Salam Wataandar that 89 percent of the country's geography was under the cover of telecommunications.
In this case, if the WJ elections are held using the offline version, the voters’ information would be transferred to the server after the day of the vote and will be processed there.
Yousuf Rashid, head of the Free and Fair Election Foundation, an electoral watchdog, said in an interview with Salam Watandar that the electoral commission should publish details about the biometric device at the earliest opportunity. According to Rashid, this information will answer questions about how the biometric device would be used.
However, Independent Election Commission spokesman, Hafizullah Hashemi, said that the IEC will publish it on its website after consultation with the members of the commission.
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