An Afghan man shows his thumb marked with ink and his voter’s pass after registering to vote in the country’s presidential poll, now scheduled for August 20.

Just days after announcing the postponement of Afghanistan’s presidential election, the country’s Independent Election Commission finds itself amidst a storm of controversy.

Parliament accuses the commission of overstepping its legal authority in pushing the election date from the spring until August 20, while politicians are warning of an impending political crisis that could harm the country’s fragile democracy.

Responding quickly, President Hamid Karzai found himself holding negotiations …

Photo: Akmal Dawi/IRIN

Aid agencies have delivered food assistance to thousands of vulnerable households in the north of the country this winter

KABUL, 2 February 2009 (IRIN) – Prompt distribution of food aid, improved coordination among aid agencies and a relatively mild winter have prevented mass displacements in the drought-stricken northern provinces of Afghanistan, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said.

Listen to the audio report in Dari and Pashto

“This year there was, in general, much better coordination between relevant government bodies and UN agencies, particularly with WFP [UN World Food Programme] as a key player. …