The Times
Jerome Starkey in Kabul

Afghan officials lost an embarrassing stand-off with the international community yesterday, on the eve of an international conference, as donors refused to pay for more elections, citing the Government’s failure to reform.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC), which ran August’s fraud-ridden presidential polls, was forced to postpone parliamentary ballots due to take place in May, blaming the “lack of budget, security and logistical challenges”.

The decision was a blow to President Karzai’s hopes of securing hundreds of millions of dollars at a donor conference in London this Thursday.

Diplomats insist that the funds for development and reconciliation will still be forthcoming, but they warned that big donors, particularly the US, will bypass the Afghan Government if they deem the ministries to be corrupt. (Read more…)