Kabul - Afghanistan's presidential election will be postponed until July 20, an official said yesterday, as US-led efforts to end the 17-year war with the Taliban gather steam. The presidential ballot was originally scheduled for April 20, which many observers had considered unrealistic given the IEC was still finalising results of October's shambolic and bloody parliamentary elections. "The Afghan government respects the decision by the IEC and is prepared to cooperate with the commission in holding the election in July," Haroon Chakhansuri said in a statement. "Based on the lessons we have learned from the previous election and to allow time for reforms, we had to review the decision of the previous election date," Sayyad said. There also are concerns the presidential election, which will now be held in the middle of the Taliban's traditional fighting season, could unleash a wave of deadly violence as militants seek to disrupt the vote.

Source: Philippine Star December 30, 2018 15:00 UTC