Afghanistan Central Civil Registration Authority (ACCRA) on Sunday said they have finalized everything around the roll-out of the new electronic identity cards (e-NIC) and are waiting for president Ashraf Ghani’s decision to start the roll-out process. 
 
Roeena Shahabi, head of the ACCRA media office said they have sent registration forms to the president and are waiting for him to specify a date to start the roll-out process. 
 
The president will be the first person to get his new e-NIC. 
 
“We have sent registration forms to the presidential palace. In terms of the law, until the president had received his identity card, we cannot issue cards to other citizens,” Shahabi said. 
 
The e-NIC said they had taken five computers along with other devices to the presidential palace on Saturday to issue the first e-NIC card to the president. However, presidential palace and Chief Executive Officer’s office refused to talk about the matter. 
 
Although some parliament members are against the inclusion of nationality and ethnicity information in the new e-NIC, the joint committee of parliament and Senate approved president’s legislative decree for the inclusion of the information. They say that now the new identity cards should be issued. 
 
“We are being accused of dealing, but all members of the joint committee have worked based on the law,” MP Najiba Hussaini said. 
 
“I assure all the people that all the work has been done in terms of the law and the new e-NIC will be issued soon. The president will get his new e-NIC first,” MP Hashim Alokozay said.
 
The matter of issuing electronic identity cards was mentioned for the first time during former president Hamid Karzai’s presidency. However, the cards have not been issued due to disagreements over the inclusion of nationality and ethnicity information in the new cards.