Members of Meshrano Jirga (the Upper House of Parliament) on Sunday said Afghanistan Central Civil Registration Authority (ACCRA) employees are working for candidates ahead of elections in some provinces.

The senators said some powerful men in a number of provinces have stationed ACCRA employees in their houses and get them to distribute Tazkeras (ID Cards) in favor of parliamentary and district council candidates. 

According to the senators, these powerful men distribute Tazkeras as they please, and ACCRA employees cooperate with them. 

“Tazkeras have been issued in houses and villages. Tazkeras have been issued at houses of a number of candidates,” senator Gulalai Akbari said. 

“Government has an obligation to ensure a transparent election and an environment where all the people can participate in the process,” senate first deputy spokesman Mohammad Alam Ezedyar said. 

ACCRA officials meanwhile said working in favor of candidates is a crime and that the investigative and intelligence departments have an obligation to identify and arrest such employees and hand them over to the legal and judicial centers for prosecution. 

A number of senators also said following the launch of the candidate registration process, a number of candidates are buying stamped ID cards – a practice that needs to be stopped.  

“The people who sell and those who buy Tazkeras are not patriotic people,” senator Gul Ahmad Azami said. 

“Do not sell your vote for short-term profit,” senator Safiullah Hashemi said. 

Despite these concerns, a number of senators asked the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to extend the voter registration process in order to enable all the people to register their names tovote.

“Voter registration should be extended at least for one more month,” senator Fawzia Sadat Samkanai said.