Over 1.9 million Afghans register to vote

More than 1.9 million people across Afghanistan have registered their names to vote ahead of the October elections, confirmed officials of the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC).

The Afghan election authorities have confirmed October 20 as the date of the vote.

"The Independent Election Commission officially announces to the people of Afghanistan that the election will be held on (Oct. 20)," IEC Chairman Gula Jan Abdul Badi Sayad told a news conference, according to several media reports.

Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, said the announcement of a firm election date would permit the officials to move from planning to implementation.

"The participation of all Afghans in the electoral process, not merely the elections themselves, is critical," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the IEC announced on Wednesday that it has scrapped the decision to stamp copies of voter identity cards, reported Afghan's TOLO News.

The commission, said in a statement, that it has decided to stamp original identity cards of voters to allow them to cast their votes in the upcoming polls in the country.