EU finances election shortfall

To meet the financial shortfall in Afghanistan’s upcoming parliamentary and provincial elections later this month, the European Commission (EC) has pledged an extra 9 million euros (US $11.2 million) for the landmark poll, the United Nations said on Thursday in the capital Kabul. A month ago, the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) appealed for additional funding for the elections, stating there was as $20 million shortfall in a budget of $159 million. “The election funding still faces a $4.6 million shortfall” said Adrian Edwards, a United Nations spokesman in Afghanistan. Up to 6,000 Afghans have registered to stand in the legislature and provincial council elections scheduled for 18 September. According to the UN-Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB), of the 2,900 people registered to run for the 249-seat Wolesi Jerga [lower house], nearly 350 were women. Afghan electoral law requires that at least 68 seats in the general assembly be reserved for women. According to the EC office, prior to this latest contribution, the combined European contribution to the budget (EC plus European Union member states) was $54 million – equal to 34 percent of the total budget. With the additional contribution, the EU will be contributing over 40 percent of the total cost of the election.