After three years of delay, Afghanistan sets October for parliamentary and local polls

Kabul, April 1: After three years of delay, the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) on Sunday announces the date of parliamentary and local district elections.

The IEC, the body overseeing the process, said it was confident the vote could go ahead this year despite the difficulties in areas controlled by the Taliban.

“Afghan security forces have assured us they will carry out operations in insecure areas not in government control and to ensure security for people in the voter registration and voting stages of the election,” Sayad said.

President Ashraf Ghani and international donor countries have all said elections need to happen this year. Some Western diplomats doubt, however, that there is enough time to organize the vote in 2018.

The current parliament’s five-year term was to expire in June 2015, but Ghani extended it by decree amid security fears and disagreements on how to prevent fraud.

The main challenges ahead of the vote are registering Afghans, many of whom do not have identification documents, and setting up ballot stations in remote areas. Plans for voter security and preventing fraud are also critical.

Afghanistan has held two parliamentary elections since the end of Taliban rule, in 2005 and 2010. District council elections have never been held.