KABUL -- Afghanistan's legislative elections will take place October 20, officials said Sunday (April 1), following three years of delays.
The polls were originally set for 2015, after 2014 presidential elections, but security fears and logistical issues within the government caused repeated delays to the parliamentary vote.
If elections occur, candidates will run for five-year terms in the 249-seat National Assembly. District council elections also are scheduled in tandem in about 400 districts nationwide.
The presidential election is scheduled for April 2019.
The parliamentary elections "[deepen] the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and [offer] a way for the Taliban to join in the political process", NATO's Resolute Support Mission tweeted.