| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Afghanistan | |
| Afghan president orders elections by April | |
| 2009-02-28 | |
| AFGHAN President Hamid Karzai has ordered that presidential elections be held by April, months earlier than a date of August 20 set by the voting authority because of security and logistic issues. In a decree that comes after weeks of consultations about the controversial date, Mr Karzai said today that the Independent Election Commission had to conduct the elections according to provisions of the constitution. He cited an article of the constitution which says the vote must be held within 30 to 60 days before the end of the presidential term, which is on May 21.
The commission last month delayed polling day to August 20, saying security and logistical concerns meant it would not be ready to hold legitimate and credible polls in the timeline provided by the constitution. "The IEC considered logistics, weather, security and funding and all aspects when it chose August 20,'' deputy chief electoral officer Zekria Barakzai said. The president has said he would stand for a second term, although he recently suggested he might reconsider. | |
| Posted by:tipper |