The next presidential election in Afghanistan has been postponed by three months, election authority sources say.
It was initially due on April 20. A new date in mid-July or early August is to be announced on January 4,
Many potential candidates had reportedly been unable to meet registration requirements and extreme weather meant their teams could not organize for a spring date..
Citing Chairman of Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) Abdul Badi Sayyad, Khaama Press reported on December 30 that the election management body has decided to hold the country’s presidential elections on July 20 next year.
According to Abdul Badi Sayyad, the IEC will not be able to hold presidential elections on April 20 due to the existing issues in the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan.
Sayyad further added that security, operational, and technical related issues are among the key problems the Independent Election Commission is facing to hold the presidential elections on time.
He said the commission is also facing other issues, including technical and operational problems to hold the elections as scheduled before.
Presidential elections will be held on 20 Saratan 1398 (July 20, 2019),” said Sayyad.
In reaction, the Afghan government said that it welcomes the move by the IEC to hold the country’s next presidential elections at this time.
This report comes days after reports that the US was to withdraw thousands of troops. About 7,000 troops – roughly half the remaining US military presence in the country – could go home within months, the US media reports said.
