Afghan parliamentary poll registration begins

Nomination of candidates for the first-ever parliamentary elections in the post-war Afghanistan formally kicked off Saturday amid opposition's objection across the country.

"I think in Kabul at all nine or 10 candidates presented their nominations including a number of women. Our offices are open and the candidates can come in either collect information or present their candidacy,"Chief Operation of the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) Richard Atwood told reporters here at candidates' nomination office.

About 10,000 hopeful candidates are going to present their nomination for the 249-seat Wolesi Jirga or national assembly elections slated for September 18.

"Any one wishes to run, present their candidacy at one of our candidates' nomination offices over the next three week (till May19),"the official added.

"Wolesi Jirga seats are distributed proportionally. In addition to the proportional seats, 36 seats are reserved for women and 10 seats for nomads," he said.

Describing the process as a milestone towards strengthening democracy in the war-shattered nation, Bismillah Bismil, chairman of the UN-sponsored JEMB urged his fellow Afghans to participate in it.

"It is a turning point in the history of Afghanistan towards democracy and durable stability, so I urged all Afghans to actively participate in it and elect their true candidates," Bismillah told reporters.

In the meantime, Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, head of the opposition alliance National Understanding Front had dubbed the JEMB as a government election commission and called for its reshuffle.

"The Election Commission is a government-appointed commission so its impartiality is questionable and we want the government to appoint its member in consultation with opposition," the opposition leader has said.

However, Deputy Chairman of the JEMB Ayub Asil rejected the demand as unconstitutional, saying the commission has been constituted in line with the country's law.

Abdul Hakim Noorzai of Afghanistan's National Unity Party has also doubted JEMB's credibility.

"Instead of consulting with political parties, the JEMB is acting on its own while it is responsible to hear our concerns," Noorzai said in the nomination's office.

On the other hand, Sibghatullah Sanger, head of the newly-established Republican Party, cautiously said that he wished to see a transparent legislative election in the country.

"I wish the mistakes of presidential election not to be repeated in the parliamentary polls," he told Xinhua while referring to last year's presidential elections and the alleged fraud in the process.

Remnants of the former Taliban regime who failed to derail last year's presidential polls have intensified their insurgency in a bid to defame the government and disrupt the coming elections.

Over 50 people including Afghans, US-led coalition troops as well as militants have been killed since the start of spring, mostly in the troubled south and southeastern provinces of Afghanistan, commonly known as the birthplace of Taliban.

To meet any eventuality and to ensure peaceful environment during the historic legislative Afghan elections, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as well as US-led coalition force have begun talks with Afghan authorities to put necessary security arrangements in place.