KABUL : Afghanistan will hold its delayed parliamentary elections on October 15, the top polling official said Monday, after last June's deadline to choose a new assembly was missed because of political disputes.
Parliament's five-year term expired in June but polls were postponed amid concerns over whether the vote could be fair and transparent after a disputed presidential election in 2014.
President Ashraf Ghani last year extended the assembly's mandate until elections were feasible, prompting many to question the legality of his decision. "Today we announce the date for the parliamentary and district council polls on October 15," election commission chief Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani told reporters.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced on Monday a small increase in the Australian troop commitment to the NATO-led force supporting the Afghan central government during a surprise visit to Kabul.
Australia, which lost 41 soldiers in Afghanistan during its more than 12-year involvement in the conflict following the US-led invasion in 2001, will commit 20 more personnel to the mission, bringing its total to 270.
Turnbull, speaking at the Australian Embassy in Kabul, defended the decision despite rejecting a request last week from US President Barack Obama to commit more Australian forces to the fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
"The truth is that in 2016, nowhere is a long way from anywhere. The world is so connected, more than it has ever been before. It is absolutely critical that we recognise that security is a global issue," Turnbull said.
Turnbull, who deposed Tony Abbott as leader in a party coup last year, has been a less vocal critic of the danger posed by militants than his predecessor, who continues to advocate a more forceful foreign policy.
The Taliban, which now control or contest more territory than at any time since they were ousted from power, will not attend the talks.
Turnbull is set to visit Washington on Monday and Tuesday for a meeting with Obama, where national security in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions are set to be agenda-topping items.