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>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>According to the TOLonews, the presidential vote will be held six months after the parliamentary elections slated for October.

Previously, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban movement to participate in the parliamentary and local elections in order to stop the years-long conflict. Taliban, however, rejected the offer, stating that people have been "cheated" at the previous vote. The movement also urged to boycott the elections as the country is "occupied."

READ MORE: US-Taliban Talks Aside, Afghanistan's Future 'Going To be Tough' in Near-Term

Afghanistan has long been suffering from unstable political, social and security situation due to the activity of the Taliban and the Daesh* terrorist groups.

*Taliban and Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) are terrorist groups banned in Russia</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>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>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>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'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>Nigeria Air: Let there be clarity

With the government’s poor record on management of public enterprises… the first thing to do is to have Nigerians on the same page on this project. Let there be clarity on Nigeria Air. Wale Sokunbi The Federal Government, in an apparent effort to fulfill one of its earlier promises, recently unveiled the name and logos…</s>Jakarta: PKS politician Suhud Aliyuddin has claimed that his party could stay neutral in the upcoming presidential election.



 "If the situation gets difficult, we may choose that option," he told reporters on Wednesday.

PKS has held a number of meeting with Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto. The party has proposed PKS Advisory Council leader Salim Segaf al Jufri and popular cleric Abdul Somad as Prabowo's running mate."If they propose another name, we will formulate an official response," he added.Gerindra Party and PKS formed a coalition in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. The two political parties also worked together in this year's West Java gubernatorial election.Indonesia will hold a simultaneous general and presidential elections in April 2019. The General Elections Commission (KPU) will open the registartion of presidential candidates this month.(WAH)
The Afghan government says that it will hold presidential elections on April 20, 2019.