A number of members of the Wolesi Jirga (the Lower House of Parliament) on Saturday said people living across the Durand Line are coming in to Afghanistan and applying for ID cards in order to vote in the upcoming elections.

MPs said a number of parliamentary election candidates are helping these people to get Afghan ID cards. 

According to the MPs, Afghanistan Central Civil Registration Authority (ACCRA) employees are also involved in distributing Afghan ID cards to these people.  

MPs said issuing ID cards to these people is illegal and extremely dangerous for the future of Afghanistan. 

“The candidates in the upcoming elections bring the people they know from the other side of the border and they give them ID cards, they get Afghanistan identity cards,” MP Wazhma Safi said. 

“Unfortunately, the election commission is not managing the distribution of stickers properly and neither is ACCRA (managing) the distribution of ID cards,” MP Jafar Mahdavi said. 

Some other MPs meanwhile said the stickers for elections are being sold at some markets around the country. They also disputed the IEC’s claims that over five million people have registered to vote. 

“The voter registration number does not reach even three million, while they said it is five up to five and half million. All people know that this figure is incorrect,” MP Lalai Hamidzai said. 

The president’s spokesman Haroon Chakansuri however said on Saturday at a press conference that reports of people outside Afghanistan getting ID cards were just rumors and that government is monitoring the process carefully.

“The Afghan government and ACCRA transparently distributes Tazkera (ID cards). If there are any complaints, they (complainants) can register their complaints at legal and judicial centers,” said Chakhansuri. 

Following the announcement of the voter registration process schedule, ACCRA announced that they are ready to distribute around 10 million ID cards to people who do not have a Tazkira. 

The IEC has said that they have printed nearly 19 million stickers and have sent 15 million stickers to provinces for the voter registration process. 

This huge number of stickers has sparked concern among MPs, Senators and various institutions who warn this could lead to election fraud.

The stickers are used to mark an ID card once a person has registered to vote.