VOTER REGISTRATION & ELECTIONS UPDATE Edition 010 • 05 July 2004
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VOTER REGISTRATION & ELECTIONS UPDATE Edition 010 • 05 July 2004 Kuchies relevant maliks (leaders) during their training on registration and elections Kuchies Register Kuchies has never had a true census. According to the A liaison Officer at the Head Quarters has been Ministry of Bordering and Traveling Affairs (MBTA), recruited followed by 50 provincial liaison officers The total population of Kuchies in Afghanistan is proba- (KPLOs) from the MBTA and the Ahmadzai's Shura. bly about 3,500,000. They had a training on the registration process and a The participation of Kuchies in voter registration briefing from the Civic Education and the Small Grants will require specific strategies encompassing the migra- sections the 24th et 25th of June. tion patterns of the various groups. Any strategy to regis- Registration for Kuchies may need to be undertaken ter Kuchies will need the cooperation of relevant maliks following completion of the general voter registration in (leaders) who will decide during their meetings (shura other parts of the country (most likely conducted during jirga) timing possibilities and locations for voter registra- the summer months) because of migration patterns. tion and authorize , for example, a tribe to remain in one Hence, the JEMB decided to register them separately. place for a set period while registration is taking place. Their nomadic status will be written on their cards so they can use they will be able to use wherever they are locate. Voter Registration & Elections Project • Joint Electoral Management Body Secretariat • United Nations Development Programme MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Upon my return from Bonn in December 2001, I was working I am not saying that we have very strong institutions in the gov- for the United Nations, I brought my colleagues together and I ernment, but the way forward is not to get rid of them but to work delivered a message that I am once again delivering to my peo- with them to strengthen them so as to overcome problems and ple: bring about improvement. " If you want to take Afghanistan out of the chaos in which If the Afghan nation wants to be a prosperous nation, every it was and put it on the tracks of development and prosperity one has to act above the ethnic lines. Ethnic divisions have where its people can live with their family with dignity and brought absolutely nothing to Afghanistan except destruction, honor, we Afghans, have to bring a revolutionary transformation isolation, and poverty. Afghans must consider that they are one in our behavior Whatever the changes in the political arena hap- nation. And that's it. pened, the Afghans stood against it. I urge and beg my country This is a golden, historical opportunity that Afghans and the fellows, let's say that: We see deficiencies but we are working Afghan nation have now. We have the support of the internation- with you so that we can improve your conditions. al community; we have to thank God we emerge from a long war. My dear country fellows, let's support our institutions!" We are now on the road to peace and democracy. Let's take part Let's not think that we should fight an institution so that a person actively in this process which will determine the future of our is replaced and I am installed. country and that of our future generations. The JEMB wishes to express its deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the 3 registration staff who were killed in the incident on 16 June 2004 in Jalalabad. Our thought are extended to those who suffered injuries & we hope for a prompt recovery. CONTENTS Kuchies Register ................................................... 1 Message from the Director ................................... 2 Small Grants Program ........................................... 3 School Election Project ........................................ 4 105 year old Registers .......................................... 4 Interview with the Director ................................... 5 An Analysis of the Electoral Law ........................ 7 Registration Update .............................................. 8 Financial Update ................................................... 9 2 SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM By Rahim Yahya, JEMB Small Grants Officer 24 Projects Awarded This Week Province Description Kabul 8 projjects, most of whiich were rellatiing to the cellebratiion of mother day wiith speciiall focus on ellectiion. Kandahar 3 projjects, whiich are focusiing on llocall gatheriings L to R : Amin Shafiee, Rahim Hellmand of triibal peoplle on ellectiion. Yahya, and Zarif Seddiqi Kapisa 1, the first proposall from this proviince, lliinkiing the relliigiion and ellection wiith each other. Wish them success! Within the structure of the Civic Education, the Small Grants Wish them success! Logar 1 awarded. Thiis iis allso the fiirst proposall from for Civil Society program is an opportunity to involve the this proviince. Wiish them success! Afghan civil organizations, social and/or cultural groups of the Wardak 3 proposalls awarded on sport events and active Afghan citizens in the overall process of the election. gatheriings The program supports local events, entertainment sessions and Ghaznii Thiis proviince allso iniitiiated the SGP program any small-scale civic education initiatives. In four months, newlly since the start of the program, 125 grants have been awarded Baghlaan 3 projjects awarded on relliigiion, and concerts. with an average cost of $650 per project (the maximum is Herat 1 was awarded to Herat on mother day lliinked to $1,000). ellectiion Bamyan 2 projjects, whiich are focusiing on women, were The type of project is very open as long as it shows a con- awarded to Diiakundi of Bamyan. nection with registration and elections, and that it has the local Farah 1 was awarded on theater show for election. community participation. Cultural, sport events, any event or Outstanding Theater Performance in meeting that raises awareness of women, minorities, and vul- nerable people are eligible. Jalalabad Documentation is available at the regional and provincial JEMBS offices, often located on the UNAMA compound. You Last week, a huge gathering with the participation of more can also contact 079 205 854 (Rahim Yahya) for more infor- than 500 people took place in Jalalabad. The gathering was mation. organized by Hewad Film group and financially supported by We are a team of three national staff and one International the JEMB. The group performed theater role-plays and dra- staff at the head quarter in Kabul managing the small grants mas on the stage, which was reflecting the importance of elec- program countrywide. tion and encouraging the people to participate in the registra- tion process. Mother’s Day Celebration A glance at the time of theater performance Celebration of mother’s day for election took place at the 11th district of Kabul city last week. Part of the program was devoted to dramas and theater about election and registration. 3 EVENTS School Election Project 105 years old man registers In order to raise more awareness on the democratic electoral process, the JEMBS in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, ISAF and the Headmaster of Lycee Esteqlal, has ini- tiated a "school election project". One of Lycee Esteqlal stu- dents act as registration staff during the training. The students at the Lycee Esteqlal have been invited to act as registration, polling and counting staff as well as candidates, voters and observers and on 23 June, 110 students from classes 10, 11 and 12 were registered to vote in the school presidential This week, more than 5 millions people will have been regis- elections. tered with 100,000 registrants per day. This indicates a 35% The project follows the model of a democratic election with growth of registration in the past weeks. time-lines for nomination and campaigning for candidates, Among the registrants this past week was a 105 year-old counting and announcement of election results. It is being filmed man who registered in district Khak-e Jabar, Kabul Province. He by the ISAF Media unit and will be broadcast on TV and radio has traveled for 5 kilometers to obtain Voter Registration card. across the country as an educational tool, showing such concepts He has been quoted saying, "I will give my vote through this as the secrecy of the vote, security and integrity of the ballot card to whom I like and who serves our beloved country." boxes and counting procedures. The students at the Lycee Esteqlal have been invited to act as registration, polling and counting staff as well as candidates, voters and observers. An electoral calendar has been set up with dead-lines for registration of potential candidates; announcement of candidates nominated; political campaign; training of polling and counting staff; election, counting and announcement of results. If the project is successful, it will, through the support from the Ministry of Education, and with available resources, expand into all provinces across the country where one high school in each province will be able to participate. A class representative will be selected per province to sit in a possible future school council. 4 SPECIAL FEATURE Interview with Dr. Farooq Wardak, with the Swedish Committee and the United Nations. I complet- Director of the JEMB Secretariat ed a master degree in Management at the Preston University of Peshawar. and a M. Phil course in Community Health at the University of Punjab. Q : You already have a great career and wide experience. What made you interested in this area of work, and why is it important for you? What makes it unusual or unique? A : Right from the beginning, I was convinced that Afghanistan will be liberated and the Afghan people will rebuild their country, whose infrastructure and important institutions were destroyed. I Ghulam Farooq Wardak was born in the Wardak Province of had a dream of playing a key role in rebuilding my state and its Afghanistan in 1959. He completed his primary education in his important institutions.