Afghanistan running out of cash as poll deadlock drags on

Afghanistan's presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani (L) speaks with rival candidate Abdullah Abdullah (R) at his side during a news conference at the United Nations compound announcing a deal to audit all of the votes cast in the recent Afghan presidential election in Kabul, July 12, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

KABUL (Reuters) - The Afghan government is running out of funds despite an influx of millions of dollars in aid as a deadlock over who won the election drives a sharp decline in revenues, already suffering from the drawdown of thousands of foreign troops.

The government faces difficulty paying salaries next month and has once more gone cap in hand to donors for help, a senior finance ministry official said on condition of anonymity, because of the sensitivity of the topic.