KABUL - The Independent Election Commission is continuing to roll out its training programmes across Afghanistan for the presidential and provincial council elections on 20 August.

In the ancient city of Herat, forty nine polling staff carefully listened to Mahmoud from the Election Commission, who reviews the various procedures they will be observing on Election Day.

On the day Mahmoud will be in charge of six polling centres and as a district field coordinator, he’ll be supervising 61 polling stations.

Just a couple of weeks ago he himself was trained and now he hands down to other staff the procedures for the day.

At the same time participants welcomed a visit by Sabahudin, the training and public outreach adviser for the UN’s elections support project UNDP/ELECT, who was touring the various training sessions.

Sabahudin questions the staff about breaks on the day and the counting procedures, and expresses his support to Mahmoud.

“Everybody is present, apart from one who is sick, and all understand what their duties are,” said Mahmoud.

The head of the training division for the IEC, Ezzatullah, detailed the training process: “The team of eight provincial trainers has been trained in Kabul from 22 to 25 July. At the beginning of the month, trainers train district field coordinators, who in turn train polling staff.”

Ezatullah, who took part in the previous elections, in 2004 and 2005, added: “Some staff were already involved in the previous elections, but there is one difference this time, the counting is going to be done at the polling site.”

On Election Day, five staff will be present in each polling station.

Each voter will first meet with the queue controller who will check the voter’s identity card and make sure the nails are not coloured from any earlier voting.

The voter is then allowed into the polling station where the identification officer will check the photo, write down the ID number, ink the right index finger nail and punch the voter registration card.

The ballot paper issuer will check the nail, stamp the voting paper and show the voter how to fold it.

The ballot box controller will make sure the voter identifies the two different ballot boxes, for the provincial and presidential elections.

The chairperson, together with the identification officer will reconcile the ballot papers before starting counting.

At the moment only polling centre managers, chairpersons and identification officers are being trained with the rest of the staff such as the ballot paper issuer and ballot paper controller, as well as queue controller, being trained from 18 August.

For one trainer Shaqqaie, it is her first professional experience: “I have studied international comparative politics at the American University of Central Asia, in Kirgisthan. I applied for the position because it is related to my field of study. Two months ago, I was interviewed, and selected.”

By Henri Burgard, UNAMA

Website: Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan