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Registration for presidential candidates kicks off in Afghanistan

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 16, 2013 12:44PM GMT

Afghanistan’s presidential race has just begun with the opening of the nomination process as candidates register to succeed the incumbent President Hamid Karzai.

According to the Afghan Independent Election Commission, more than two dozen potential runners are expected to register until October the 6th.

"So far, 28 people -- both individuals and members of parties and coalitions -- have collected registration forms for the presidential election," media outlets quoted Independent Election Commission (IEC) spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor as saying.

The commission authorities say they will publish the final list of hopefuls within 10 days.

Afghan presidential candidates must be at least 40 years and cannot have any criminal convictions. They should also provide the voter cards of 100,000 supporters and lodge a deposit of USD 18,000.

Under the country's constitution, President Karzai, who is in his second term in office, is barred from running for a third term.

The registration for candidates of provincial councils also began on the same day.

The upcoming vote is scheduled to be held on April 5, 2014, months before the expected withdrawal of the US-led foreign forces from the war-ravaged country.

The election comes at a time when the country is grappling with growing wave of violence and militancy.

The last presidential election took place in 2009.

Karzai has repeatedly warned against the US meddling in Afghanistan's upcoming presidential election, stressing that the presence of foreigners in the country’s election watchdog is against the country's sovereignty. Two people of the five-member Electoral Complaints Commission in Afghanistan are non-Afghan.

"The presence of foreigners in the Electoral Complaints Commission is against the sovereignty of Afghanistan," Karzai said adding that "Foreign observers can still come to monitor the transparency or non-transparency of the election, but their interference in the election process is against Afghanistan's sovereignty." Karzai said in October 2012.

Some analysts are calling the landmark election the litmus test for democracy after 12 years of a US-led occupation.

JR/SS