Afghan Voter Registration Begins

"Registration began on 30 April for those seeking to run in Afghanistan’s local and parliamentary elections scheduled for 18 September. Election officials have announced that those wishing to run have until 19 May to register. Between 5,000 and 10,000 candidates are expected to run in the elections.
Election officials have called on all Afghans -- men and women -- who wish to run in the elections to submit their candidacies in the next three weeks. A final list will be approved and issued on 12 July.
Bismillah Bissmil, the chairman of the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) has called the upcoming elections a major turning point in Afghanistan’s path toward democracy and lasting stability.
"With these elections," Bissmil said in a statement, "we shall finally have a democratic, representative government and end the rule of the gun."
All Afghans who are 25 years old or over and obtain the signatures of 300 supporters can run for the lower house of parliament, the Wolesi Jirga. Candidates for provincial councils must be 18 years old or over and must gather 200 signatures."
Rantburg