Afghanistan presidential election postponed to September

Afghanistan's presidential election has been postponed by two months to September 28, as authorities try to iron out problems with the voting process, the election board said on Wednesday.

The election was pushed back for the second time to allow time for reforms to the voting system, said Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi, the spokesperson for the Independent Election Commission. 

It was originally scheduled for April but was delayed to July 20 due to concerns about winter conditions and security.

Afghanistan's parliamentary election took place in autumn after months of wrangling and delay.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani (C), with his two vice presidential candidates Amrullah Saleh (L) and Sarwar Danish (R), arrives to register as a candidate for the upcoming presidential election at the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 20, 2019. /VCG Photo

That vote was marred by accusations of widespread fraud including ballot-stuffing, technical problems with biometric registration equipment, and attacks by Taliban insurgents.

President Ashraf Ghani, chief executive Abdullah Abdullah and former national security adviser Mohammad Haneef Atmar are among the declared candidates for the presidential election.

It is unclear how recurring peace talks between U.S. officials and the Taliban may affect the election.

The Taliban has so far refused to talk with the Ghani government, which it considers illegitimate.

(REUTERS)