As funding for Afghan elections comes in, UN mission sees no threat to polls

The funding shortfall for parliamentary and provincial elections in Afghanistan has shrunk by $12 million over the past week and there is now no threat to the polls with just six weeks to go, the United Nations mission in the strife-torn country reported today.

“We will not postpone the elections and the funding gap that we have is not threatening the elections,” UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) spokesperson Ariane Quentier told a news briefing in Kabul, the capital.

“The problem is not whether we are going to get the money, rather when are we going to get the money – this is always a slow process,” Ms. Quentier said, a week after the mission reported that a $31 million shortfall could hamper essential preparatory work.

“It is just a matter of getting the money rapidly so that the preparations of the elections can be conducted in the best possible way,” she added, noting that the shortfall now stood at $19 million after a number of donors made fresh pledges, including $8 million by the United States Government.

“That said, there is no question that we are going to postpone the elections and we are quite confident that we will have the money in time,” Ms. Quentier said.