Afghanistan postpones parliamentary elections: Official
The independent election commission made the decision because of a "lack of budget, security and uncertainty and logistical challenges", the official said.
Afghanistan postponed parliamentary polls for four months today, days ahead of crunch international talks on the war-torn nation in London, saying it was not safe to go ahead amid a spiralling Taliban insurgency.The announcement, five months after the presidential election descended into a ballot-stuffing farce, will deepen global concern that graft and logistical problems are undermining democracy in one of the world's poorest and most corrupt nations.The ballot, originally planned for May 22, will be delayed until September 18, senior election commissioner Fazil Ahmad Manawi told reporters in Kabul.The independent election commission (IEC) made the decision because of a "lack of budget, security and uncertainty and logistical challenges", the official said.Afghanistan has relied on foreign funding for elections since 2001, when a US-led invasion overthrew the Taliban regime and moves towards democracy began. The commission had previously said it was short of around USD 120 million to hold the ballot for the Wolosi Jirga, Afghanistan's lower house of parliament.But the United Nations has said it would need to see evidence of significant reform - including replacing senior IEC officials - before agreeing to release money to stage the election.