KABUL (PAN): At odds with European allies, London and Washington are pushing for postponement of parliamentary and district council elections in Afghanistan. The polls are due be held in May under the Afghan constitution. Britain and the United States, arguing that the elections will impinge on President Barack Obama's new strategy for stabilising Afghanistan, have a mismatch of perceptions on the issue with other European countries. "The two allies are in dispute with European states over whether to fund and secure the elections in the spring or press for postponement until 2011," a British newspaper reported on Thursday. According to The Telegraph, the two major partners in Afghanistan have raised concerns about possible insurgent attacks on soldiers securing polling stations for a ballot lacking credibility. The newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying that conducting the polls in May would not be a viable option. In the absence of widespread reform, officials argued, it would amount to throwing good money after bad. "It would also divert the mission of the newly deployed 30,000 US soldiers from Gen. Stanley McChrystal's revised strategy of securing towns and cities at the expense of rural districts," the report added. One westerner told the daily there was no consensus in the global fraternity about elections. "There are a lot of obstacles towards holding elections in 2010. The elections are supposed to be held in May which is a very short time." PAN Monitor/mud
