Afghan Vote Plan Raises Tensions (government to issue biometric ID cards)

Wall Street Journal ^ | 10/14/12 | MARIA ABI-HABIB, NATHAN HODGE

[Libloather]

Afghan Vote Plan Raises Tensions
Government Decides to Issue Electronic ID Cards for Crucial 2014 Presidential Election, a Strategy the West Has Criticized.
By MARIA ABI-HABIB and NATHAN HODGE
Updated October 14, 2012, 8:15 p.m. ET

KABUL—The Afghan government's plan to issue biometric ID cards ahead of the 2014 presidential election is raising tensions with international donors, who are concerned the ambitious project could tarnish the vote instead of eliminating fraud.

As part of its preparations for the election, the Afghan government decided last month to issue to all Afghans an electronic national ID card, known as e-tazkira, which includes scanned thumbprints. The plan is expected to cost $115 million, most of it from Western sources, U.S. and international officials say.

However, some senior Afghan officials say it is virtually impossible to register most Afghans in time for the election, which is set to pick President Hamid Karzai's successor.

[Libloather]

SOME sort of ID couldn't hurt...

[Shadow44]

THAT’S RACIS...Oh, its Afghanistan.

Carry on!