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Afghan commission sets August presidential vote
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Afghan commission sets August presidential vote
AFP - Thursday, March 5
KABUL (AFP) - - The Afghan election commission Wednesday upheld August 20 for the country's second presidential vote, flouting a decree from President Hamid Karzai for an April ballot.
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However, the announcement from Azizullah Ludin, chief of the country's Independent Election Commission, which technically has the authority to set electoral dates, leaves open the question of how to resolve a key constitutional problem.
Although the IEC says adequate elections within weeks are impossible given the overwhelming security problems, the constitution says the vote must be held 30 to 60 days before the president's five-year term expires on May 21.
Anticipating the constitutional deadline, Karzai issued a decree Saturday calling for an April 20 election.
"While we respect and accept the president's decree, its implementation is not possible because all the problems which we listed previously, which are mainly security and weather conditions, are still in place," said Ludin.
"This is why after a thorough study the IEC came to the conclusion that we have to hold transparent, free and fair elections. That's why we confirm the date of August 20," he added.
Karzai, under huge pressure from the United Nations, the United States and other Afghan allies to support the IEC date of August 20, caused a stir when he issued his decree.
The UN special representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, welcomed the IEC's announcement.
"This date will provide the time needed for the IEC with the support of the international community to make practical and logistical preparations, for candidates to campaign, and for Afghan and international forces to provide security," he said in a statement.
The National Front, the main political opposition group formed of a fragile coalition of opposition parties and some other candidates also welcomed the August 20 date.
They convened a joint news conference and called for "national dialogue" for an interim administration to take power from May 21 until August 20.
There is hot debate on the legitimacy of any power Karzai may hold between May and August.
The opposition is calling for an interim administration but some analysts have suggested that declaring a state of emergency is a better solution.
"I emphasize the need for a broad consensus so that the election process can move forward in a way that ensures the political stability of the country and the legitimacy of its institutions," said the UN envoy.
The IEC in January delayed the vote until August, saying it needed the time to prepare and also wanted NATO military reinforcements on the ground to help secure the polls from Taliban attack.
NATO's top military officer US General John Craddock is seeking four extra battalions of troops to help provide security. Depending on the country it is drawn from, a battalion usually numbers between 800 and 1,200 troops.
Spokesman James Appathurai welcomed Wednesday's IEC announcement.
"This date will provide, from a purely technical point of view, the time for the alliance to prepare properly, to bring in the forces necessary, and the capabilities necessary, to provide the maximum possible support for the electoral process," he said in Brussels.
The United States recently announced the deployment of 17,000 extra troops, mainly to the south where the insurgency is at its worst, but those soldiers are unlikely to be fully in place until July, under current planning.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates reiterated Monday that Washington favours an August election, but hopes a way can be found to address the constitutional concerns raised by Karzai.
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