Afghan Elections Face Funding Shortfall

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050801/ap_on_re_as/afghan_elections

Afghan Elections Face Funding Shortfall

By DANIEL LOVERING, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 14 minutes ago

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan's upcoming parliamentary elections
face a funding shortfall of $31 million because international donors
have failed to deliver on pledges, a U.N. spokesman said Monday.

The lack of funding threatens to undermine plans for the polls
scheduled for Sept. 18, which are expected to cost about $149 million,
said Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the U.N. Assistance Mission in
Afghanistan.

"If these funds do not become available very shortly, it will hurt
essential preparatory work such as voter education and the
establishment of thousands of polling stations and the hiring of
over 140,000 polling staff," he said at a news conference.

Recent violence has also threatened to destabilize Afghanistan ahead
of the crucial legislative polls. Officials warned that the violence
could imperil more than three years of progress toward elections and
the establishment of democracy in Afghanistan.

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