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The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Sunday announced October 20 as the date for the country’s parliamentary and district council elections.

This comes after the Afghan government and its financial donors pledged to help the election management body to conduct the long-delayed process. 

Meanwhile, authorities of the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) have said government has not done anything about appointing an ECC secretariat head.

According to IEC officials, the lack of budget, and constant delays around appointing an IEC commissioner were among key reasons for the delay in elections.  

IEC initially announced July 7 as the date for the elections. 

“Today the Independent Election Commission officially announces that the parliament and district council elections will be held on 28 of Meeza (20 October),” said IEC chief Abdul Badi Sayyad.

The IEC is set to start the voter registration process on 14 April and has hired dozens of staff members in provinces for this purpose.

“We hope that the security institutions come up with good news for voter registration,” said Wasima Badghisi, IEC operational deputy chief.

Sayyad said that election materials have also meanwhile been distributed to at least nine provinces. 

Based on the electoral calendar, candidates will be able to file their nomination papers on first of Assad (6 August).

“Registration of candidates is another phase, this will not take place until sufficient voters are registered,” said Sayyad.

Meanwhile critics have blasted government for not having already filled the head of the ECC secretariat position.

“Nearly eleven months ago a list (of candidates) was sent to the presidential palace; it would have been good if government had done this (appoint a chairman) and we had a chief of secretariat today; from this platform, we call on  government to take serious steps in this respect,” said Abdul Aziz Arayayee, chairman IECC.

The IEC has however, finalized 7,300 polling stations for the next elections. But reports say that there are high security threats against 32 districts. 

The IEC has estimated the budget for the elections to be between $70 million USD and $90 million USD and that the bulk of the money will be covered by the international community.

UN Welcomes Progress On Afghanistan Elections

The United Nations has welcomed the progress being made by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in setting an October 2018 date to hold Afghanistan’s parliamentary and district council elections.

“Setting a firm date for elections is a notably positive and important development in the work of the IEC, and will allow progress from the formal planning stages to implementation,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan in a statement.

In December 2017, donors pledged to fund up to 90 percent of the US$28.4 million USD voter registration budget, in addition to pledging ongoing assistance to the IEC and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC).

The IEC is set to start the voter registration process on 14 April and has hired dozens of staff members in provinces for this purpose.

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The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Sunday announced October 20 as the date for the country’s parliamentary and district council elections.

This comes after the Afghan government and its financial donors pledged to help the election management body to conduct the long-delayed process. 

Meanwhile, authorities of the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) have said government has not done anything about appointing an ECC secretariat head.

According to IEC officials, the lack of budget, and constant delays around appointing an IEC commissioner were among key reasons for the delay in elections.  

IEC initially announced July 7 as the date for the elections. 

“Today the Independent Election Commission officially announces that the parliament and district council elections will be held on 28 of Meeza (20 October),” said IEC chief Abdul Badi Sayyad.

The IEC is set to start the voter registration process on 14 April and has hired dozens of staff members in provinces for this purpose.

“We hope that the security institutions come up with good news for voter registration,” said Wasima Badghisi, IEC operational deputy chief.

Sayyad said that election materials have also meanwhile been distributed to at least nine provinces. 

Based on the electoral calendar, candidates will be able to file their nomination papers on first of Assad (6 August).

“Registration of candidates is another phase, this will not take place until sufficient voters are registered,” said Sayyad.

Meanwhile critics have blasted government for not having already filled the head of the ECC secretariat position.

“Nearly eleven months ago a list (of candidates) was sent to the presidential palace; it would have been good if government had done this (appoint a chairman) and we had a chief of secretariat today; from this platform, we call on  government to take serious steps in this respect,” said Abdul Aziz Arayayee, chairman IECC.

The IEC has however, finalized 7,300 polling stations for the next elections. But reports say that there are high security threats against 32 districts. 

The IEC has estimated the budget for the elections to be between $70 million USD and $90 million USD and that the bulk of the money will be covered by the international community.

UN Welcomes Progress On Afghanistan Elections

The United Nations has welcomed the progress being made by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in setting an October 2018 date to hold Afghanistan’s parliamentary and district council elections.

“Setting a firm date for elections is a notably positive and important development in the work of the IEC, and will allow progress from the formal planning stages to implementation,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan in a statement.

In December 2017, donors pledged to fund up to 90 percent of the US$28.4 million USD voter registration budget, in addition to pledging ongoing assistance to the IEC and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC).

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