44 candidates register for Afghan presidential elections

KABUL. May 9. KAZINFORM Forty-four candidates, including two women, have registered for the upcoming elections on August 20 in Afghanistan, the Central Election Commission said on Saturday; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

To register, a candidate had to make a deposit of approximately $1,000 to the election committee and submit at least 10,000 signatures endorsing the candidate. A presidential candidate must be at least 40 years old and have no prior criminal record. According to Afghanistan's constitution, elections should have been held in April of this year. However, polls were put off until August 20 due to concerns over funding and security, as well as technical complications. In Afghanistan's first presidential elections in 2004, there were 25 registered candidates, though only 18 of them ended up on the final ballot; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www, en.rian.ru for full version