MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th December, 2018) The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan announced on Sunday the postponement of the country's presidential election, that was due to be held on April 20, to July 20, local media reported, citing the commission's chairman Abdul Badi Sayat.
The commission's chair explained the vote's postponement by the problems that the country had to face during the parliamentary election in October and the preparation of talks on a peace agreement with the representatives of the Taliban radical movement, Afghanistan's 1TV channel reported.
According to the broadcaster, the government accepted the new date for the residential election.
The registration of presidential candidates was officially launched on December 22, however none of the possible presidential hopefuls have gone through the procedure so far, according to the election commission.
Ihsan Taheri, a spokesman for the Afghan High Peace Council, told Sputnik earlier in December that in the coming months the Afghan government will be working on a draft peace deal with Taliban. According to Taheri, the work should be terminated by the start of direct talks between the rival forces.
