Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) warned Monday of a fraught 2014 election if security forces do not ensure the safety of voters.
The IEC said the biggest challenge ahead of next year's poll is for voters to feel secure – indirectly disagreeing with political parties and parliamentarians who repeatedly state that the election will unravel because of the use of old voting cards.
"I emphasise that if there is no security then don't expect an inclusive and acceptable election. Where there is no security like in the 2010 parliamentary election, we will not put up the ballot boxes," IEC chief Fazil Ahmad Manawi said in a Kabul press conference.
The IEC will release a locations of 7000 voting centres around the country to security institutions in order for them to make the proper security precautions, Manawi added.
A number of political parties have reportedly claimed that if a new registration system and new voting cards are not introduced, these parties will boycott next year's election.
But Manawi responded that the IEC does not have any other alternative but to allow the use of the old cards and only electronically register new voters.
He also mentioned there was a dispute over who controls the election budget.
"The international community is committed to pay the budget of the 2014 election without any conditions but according to the Decree 45 of President Karzai, the budget of the election must be used by the Ministry of Finance but the Independent Election Commission has challenged this discussion. Our view is that if we use the budget according to the criteria of the Ministry of Finance we will not be able to complete our work on time," he said.
The key dates over the next 13 months in the lead up to the election were released by the IEC as follows:
Voter registration for those previously unregistered: 1 Sawr–31Asad 1392 (21 Apr-22 Aug 2013)
Election complaints commission to open in provinces: 2 Sonbola (24 August)
Registration of presidential and provincial council candidates: 25 Sonbola-14 Mezan (16 Sept-06 Oct)
Presidential candidate campaigns 26 Aqrab-13 Hamal (17 Nov 2013-02 April 2014)
Finalisation of campaigns: 14 Hamal 1393 (03 Apr 2014)
Election: 16 Haml (05 Apr 2014)
Vote count: 17 Hamal- 31 Hamal (06 April 2014-20 April 2014)