Afghanistan's landmark national elections, which were scheduled for June, will be delayed until September, President Hamid Karzai said Sunday. Karzai said the delay was needed to allow the United Nations to hold both presidential and parliamentary elections at the same time. "We are ready to manage both elections, for the parliament and presidency, in September," Karzai said at a news conference at his palace in the Afghan capital. Officials had warned repeatedly that the country's first post-Taliban elections might be delayed because of logistical problems and security fears. So far, only 1.5 million of an estimated 10.5 million eligible voters have been registered for the elections, and it remains unclear how the United Nations intends to carry out a plan to register most of the others in May.
| Especially if someone blows up a paper bag and pops it behind the U.N. staff. They'll all die of acute coronary events. |
The Afghan government said on Saturday it will disarm 40,000 irregular Afghan militia soldiers in time for the elections to reduce the risk of voter intimidation. But the world body, the U.S.-led military coalition and the Afghan government are still working on plans to protect election workers from militants of the former Taliban regime. |