Baku. 31 July. REPORT.AZ / Independent electoral commission has announced that the presidential elections in Afghanistan will be held on April 20, 2019, Report informs citing the RIA Novosti.

Parliamentary elections in Afghanistan will be held in October. In April, President Ashraf Ghani announced the start of the registration of citizens for participation in the parliamentary and local elections.

Notably, President in Afghanistan is elected on the basis of universal, secret and direct voting for a period of 5 years. The president can be re-elected for a second term. </s> Afghanistan plans to hold presidential election on April 20 next year

KABUL: Afghanistan will hold its next presidential election on April 20 next year, an official with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.



Confirmation of the date comes amid preparations for separate parliamentary elections due in October which have been beset by technical and organizational problems as well as accusations of fraud and abuse.

Candidates will not be registered until November, but manoeuvring among potential contenders and their allies is already under way and President Ashraf Ghani himself is widely expected to run for a second five-year term.

The last presidential election in 2014 produced no clear winner after accusations of massive electoral fraud by supporters of both Ghani and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah.

After months of argument, the two rivals signed up to a U.S.-brokered deal forming a national unity government in which Ghani took the presidency and Abdullah took the specially created post of chief executive. </s> Tolo News: Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Tuesday afternoon announced it has set the date for presidential elections for next year. The IEC said these elections will be held on April 20, six months after the October parliamentary and district council elections. Click here to read more (external link).
• Govt Must Do More To Ensure Fair Elections: Political Parties </s> Afghanistan sets April 20 as date for next presidential election

KABUL: Afghanistan Wednesday announced April 20 next year as the date for its presidential election, amid concerns that growing insurgent violence could threaten the poll.

The vote will take place six months after parliamentary elections, which have been scheduled for October 20 after repeated delays.Current President Ashraf Ghani is widely expected to stand for another five-year term.

The date was announced by Abdul Badi Sayad, chairman of the Independent Election Commission, who said security and other factors had been taken into account.The commission says nine million voters, including three million women, have registered since the electoral rolls opened in April despite attacks on voter registration centres.

Security remains a major concern ahead of the polls, with the Western-backed government struggling against an insurgency by the resurgent Taliban and, increasingly, the Islamic State group.

“Security is an issue that we hope will be solved by then,” said election commission spokesman Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi. He responded to concerns of voter fraud by saying the commission was “committed to ensuring the transparency and integrity of both parliamentary and presidential elections”.The last presidential election in 2014 was marred by allegations of massive fraud and vote-rigging. </s> The Afghan government says it will hold presidential elections on April 20, 2019, for the fourth time since the Taliban were toppled from power in 2001, however, officials have warned much work needs to happen to meet that timeline.

During a televised news conference on Wednesday, election officials said the vote would take place six months after parliamentary and local elections scheduled for October 20, polls which have been marred by technical and organisational issues.

Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) said security and funding, as well as the short timeframe between elections, would present the biggest challenges to the poll.

"Security is an issue that we hope will be solved by then," IEC spokesman Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi said.

Almost 14 percent, or 56 of more than 400 districts, are fully controlled by the Taliban while another 30 percent are contested, according to figures published by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

The IEC said it hoped as many as 15 million people will register for the polls, but the election commissioner admitted registration turnout so far had been low.

The last time Afghans went to the ballot box was in 2014, which produced no clear winner between the two main candidates, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah.

Both candidates accused each other of massive voter fraud, leading to months of arguments.

Eventually, the United States brokered a deal, crafting a government of national unity, with Ghani becoming president and Abdullah taking the position of the newly created position of chief executive.

Peace with the Taliban?

In recent months, incumbent President Ghani has attempted to start peace talks with the Taliban, proposing a ceasefire and prisoner release.

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As part of the deal, Ghani has also suggested the Taliban take part in the official elections.

The Taliban, which has been fighting against the government since it was removed from power in 2001 by US-led forces, has demanded the withdrawal of foreign forces as a pre-condition for those peace talks.

The capital, which has been the site of relative calm, has seen an increase in bombings and other attacks since the Taliban announced the beginning of their spring offensive on April 25.

Fighting traditionally picks up in Afghanistan as warmer weather melts snow in mountain passes, allowing fighters to move around more easily.

Earlier this year both the Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group killed dozens of people in an attempt to derail the elections.

Both groups have attacked several voter registration centres, including bombing and burning them.

According to the UN, a total of 1,692 people have been killed in the first half of 2018, with another 3,430 people wounded - the highest figure since it began keeping records in 2009. </s> Afghanistan's electoral authorities say the country will hold its next presidential election on April 20, 2019, six months after parliamentary polls.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) made the announcement on August 1, as Afghanistan's Western-backed government has been struggling to fend off the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014.

Security, funding, and the short time frame between the elections would present the biggest challenges to the polls, IEC spokesman Hafeezullah Hashemi said during a televised news conference.

Nearly 14 percent, or 56 of the war-torn country's more than 400 districts, are under Taliban control or influence, according to a report published on July 31 by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) welcomed the IEC's announcement, calling it "an important moment for democracy in Afghanistan."

In a statement, Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan and the head of UNAMA, also urged "all parties to perform their respective roles in order to ensure necessary timelines and conditions are met for credible presidential elections."

Confirmation of the presidential election date comes amid preparations for long-delayed parliamentary and district-council polls scheduled for October 20 this year.

Nearly 9 million people have registered to vote, including more than 3 million women, according to the IEC. But the run-up to the elections has been marred by technical and organizational problems as well as accusations of fraud and abuse.

In its statement, UNAMA said it expected a “thorough verification process of registered voters in order for any irregularities to be addressed.”

Presidential candidates will not be registered until November, but maneuvering among potential contenders and their allies has already kicked off.

President Ashraf Ghani is expected to run for a second five-year term, while one of his main backers, ethnic Uzbek Vice President Abdul Rasheed Dostum, has formed an alliance with powerful leaders.

These include former Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor, a leading figure in the largely ethnic Tajik Jamiat-e Islami party, and ethnic Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqeq.

The last presidential election, in 2014, produced no clear winner after accusations of massive electoral fraud.

Months after the vote, Ghani and rival Abdullah Abdullah agreed to form a national-unity government in which Ghani took the presidency and Abdullah took the specially created post of chief executive.

Parliamentary elections, initially scheduled to be held in 2015, were postponed in the aftermath of the contested presidential poll.

With reporting by dpa and Reuters </s> KABUL: Afghanistan Wednesday announced April 20 next year as the date for its presidential election, amid concerns that growing insurgent violence could threaten the poll.

The vote will take place six months after parliamentary elections, which have been scheduled for October 20 after repeated delays.

Current President Ashraf Ghani is widely expected to stand for another five-year term.

The date was announced by Abdul Badi Sayad, chairman of the Independent Election Commission, who said security and other factors had been taken into account.

The commission says nine million voters, including three million women, have registered since the electoral rolls opened in April despite attacks on voter registration centres.

Security remains a major concern ahead of the polls, with the Western-backed government struggling against an insurgency by the resurgent Taliban and, increasingly, the Islamic State group.

"Security is an issue that we hope will be solved by then," said election commission spokesman Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi.

He responded to concerns of voter fraud by saying the commission was "committed to ensuring the transparency and integrity of both parliamentary and presidential elections".

The last presidential election in 2014 was marred by allegations of massive fraud and vote-rigging. The two top contenders, Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, both claimed victory.

It took months for the candidates to agree on a US-brokered deal to form a "national unity government" in which Ghani was sworn in as president while Abdullah took up the newly created post of chief executive.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan welcomed the poll announcement Wednesday, calling it "an important moment for democracy in Afghanistan".

In a statement its chief Tadamichi Yamamoto urged "all parties to perform their respective roles in order to ensure necessary timelines and conditions are met for credible presidential elections". </s> Kabul, Afghanistan - Parliamentary election in Afghanistan's Kandahar province due to be held on Saturday, will be delayed by a week following the assassination of a powerful provincial police commander, according to the electoral body and the president's spokesman.

President Ashraf Ghani's spokesman Haroon Chakansuri told Al Jazeera the decision was made following demands from local people in the the province and recommendation from electoral officials.

The suspension of the polls comes following the assassination of Kandahar province's police chief General Abdul Raziq in an attack claimed by Taliban.

The southern province's intelligence chief, Abdul Mohmin, was also killed in the attack on Thursday.

Chakansuri said date for the poll will be announced later without giving further details.

Afghans will be voting on Saturday to elect members of parliament in polls delayed repeatedly for the past three years.

The interior ministry said they have put in place measures to ensure voting happens without incidents.

"The election is going according to plan. We have measures and we meet regularly. There will be no problem," Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the interior ministry, told Al Jazeera.

"Over 70,000 security forces are there to maintain security. They are on high alert," Rahimi said. </s> HEART: At least 22 police officers were killed in a Taliban ambush in western Afghanistan, a health official said Monday, in another blow to Afghan forces already suffering record casualties.

The attack on the police convoy in Farah province follows a wave of violence across Afghanistan in recent weeks, including a suicide bombing inside an army base mosque on Friday, and intensifying efforts to convince the Taliban to end the 17-year war. At least two police officers were wounded in Sunday’s ambush, said Shir Ahmad Weda, director of the public hospital in the provincial capital.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message, saying 25 police were killed and four wounded. “Four vehicles were destroyed and a large quantity of weapons were seized,” Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the militants, added. Provincial police spokesman Mohibullah Mohib said the convoy had been travelling from Farah city to Juwain district when it came under attack.

Afghan presidential election may be postponed: Afghanistan’s embattled election organisers are considering delaying April’s presidential ballot by three months, officials said Monday, as they struggle to tally votes cast in the recent legislative poll and resolve thousands of complaints.

The remarks come as the United States spearheads international efforts to engage the Taliban in peace talks to end the 17-year war that some had feared could be derailed by the April 20 presidential vote, which is expected to fiercely contested. The ballot could be pushed back to July 13, spokesmen for the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) told reporters. “There are legal and technical issues that should be addressed properly (if the vote is to be delayed),” ECC spokesman Ali Reza Rohani said. “We have to see if the proposed new date of July 13 is practical and whether we have to hold four elections at once.” Presidential, provincial council and district council elections are scheduled to take place across the country in 2019. </s> At the order of Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, registration of candidates in the 12th Presidential Elections of Iran began on Tuesday morning with the finishing date being four days later on April 15.

Iranian Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Hossein Zolfaghari also made presence at the Presidential election headquarters and told reporters that security in elections was Iran’s redline; “any party and movement seeking to undermine security of the elections will be strongly confronted with.”

The qualified candidates will be announced after the Guardian Council gives a final list to the Ministry April 27-28.

Campaign trail would kick off on April 28 lasting for 20 days until May 17 since it would not be legal a day before Election Day on May 19.

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The Afghan government says that it will hold presidential elections on April 20, 2019.