Afghan president Hamid Karzai said today he would stay in office until elections are held and called for national talks to resolve a dispute with election officials over his call for an early poll.
Mr Karzai, whose term ends on May 21st, said his decree for an early poll and the election commission's announcement of an August 20th vote were both constitutional.
"Let us have a national consultation" to resolve the impasse, Mr Karzai told a news conference in Kabul.
Rival presidential candidates have called for Mr Karzai to step down and let an interim leader take over until the August 20th polls set out by the election commission.
The United States, Afghan opposition groups and rival presidential contenders all back the August date and Afghanistan has been plunged into a constitutional crisis over the disputed poll date.
Mr Karzai says the vote should be held according to the constitution, meaning it would have to take place in April, at least 30 days before his term ends.
But the election commission says that is not possible, partly because of the difficulty of organising the election during Afghanistan's harsh winter months, and many others agrees.
"As long as there is no election, the president will stay in office," Mr Karzai said.
Many of Mr Karzai's rivals worry the president is preparing to use the power of government to manipulate the poll in his favour, and want him to stand aside in May.
Rising insecurity and rampant corruption have left Mr Karzai increasingly unpopular, but with many deals still being cut behind the scenes between the country's political power brokers, a second term remains a possibility.