[JURIST] Afghanistan began to register voters Saturday for the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18, a day after UN Special Representative Jean Arnault [official profile] told the UN Security Council that greater security will be necessary [excerpt of statement] to prevent violence at the polls. The Wolesi Jirga and Provincial Council election [background briefing, PDF] has been threatened by the Taliban and regional militants attempting to gain power. Increased security will come from the 20,000 US soldiers already in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban and 8,300 NATO peacekeepers whose number may be increased by another 2,000 [NATO update]. The Joint Electoral Management Body [official website] hopes to register approximately two million voters over the next month. Reuters has more.