Afghan parliament election postponed
Source: Agencies |
January 25, 2010, Monday
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AFGHANISTAN yesterday postponed parliamentary elections until September due to a lack of funding from donor nations after widespread fraud in last year's presidential poll.
The announcement came as President Hamid Karzai left for Turkey, the start of a tour that will include Berlin and London. Karzai will appeal for financial and other support for his government.
The Independent Election Commission has said it needed about US$50 million from the international community to pay for the parliamentary election, budgeted to cost US$120 million.
That money has not come through in time to hold the vote as planned on May 22, according to commissioner Fazel Ahmed Manawi. He also attributed the delay to security concerns, logistical challenges and the need to improve the election process at a news conference.
The vote will be held on September 18 instead.
Lack of funds
"There is no doubt that we are faced with different kinds of problems, but the major problem in our way is the lack of budget funds and security concerns," he said.
United States lawmakers had pressed for a postponement in the wake of August's disputed poll that re-elected Karzai, warning that holding the vote without substantive electoral reform could undermine support for US aid.
Chief United Nations envoy Kai Eide said this month there is a provision in Afghan law that permits the elections to be postponed for a few months.
Some nations also were concerned that having to guard polling stations in May would be a distraction for the 37,000 US and NATO reinforcements being deployed to stop the Taliban.
Two US soldiers were killed yesterday in a bombing in southern Afghanistan, the second strike to kill US troops in as many days in the area.
The announcement came as President Hamid Karzai left for Turkey, the start of a tour that will include Berlin and London. Karzai will appeal for financial and other support for his government.
The Independent Election Commission has said it needed about US$50 million from the international community to pay for the parliamentary election, budgeted to cost US$120 million.
That money has not come through in time to hold the vote as planned on May 22, according to commissioner Fazel Ahmed Manawi. He also attributed the delay to security concerns, logistical challenges and the need to improve the election process at a news conference.
The vote will be held on September 18 instead.
Lack of funds
"There is no doubt that we are faced with different kinds of problems, but the major problem in our way is the lack of budget funds and security concerns," he said.
United States lawmakers had pressed for a postponement in the wake of August's disputed poll that re-elected Karzai, warning that holding the vote without substantive electoral reform could undermine support for US aid.
Chief United Nations envoy Kai Eide said this month there is a provision in Afghan law that permits the elections to be postponed for a few months.
Some nations also were concerned that having to guard polling stations in May would be a distraction for the 37,000 US and NATO reinforcements being deployed to stop the Taliban.
Two US soldiers were killed yesterday in a bombing in southern Afghanistan, the second strike to kill US troops in as many days in the area.
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