Parliamentary Vote Delayed in Afghanistan - NYT

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Parliamentary Vote Delayed in Afghanistan

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: July 10, 2004

KABUL, Afghanistan, July 9 ? Afghanistan's Election Commission confirmed Friday that parliamentary elections would be delayed for six more months, until April 2005, in an effort to ensure a more democratic process, but that presidential elections would go ahead this fall.

The government had been under pressure to delay parliamentary elections to prevent factional and militia leaders from dominating the process through intimidation and violence. The Taliban and other militants have also increased their violent anti-election efforts recently.

Partly at the behest of President Hamid Karzai, the commission decided that the presidential election, already delayed by three months, should go ahead on Oct. 9. Mr. Karzai was voted to head a two-year transitional government by a special tribal assembly in June 2002. But that mandate expired, and he has been reluctant to consider a further postponement of the presidential election.


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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/10/international/asia/10AFGH.html


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