Afghan election workers carry a plastic box containing election material into a polling station at Jamee mosque in the city of Herat. PHOTO: AFP
Afghans will brave the Taliban threats and line up to vote across the war-shattered country today – the third presidential poll since the fall of the Taliban.
The crucial elections would pave the way for the country’s first-ever peaceful democratic transfer of power, because the constitution bars the incumbent, Hamid Karzai, from contesting again.
The official Bakhtar news agency reports that nearly 13 million eligible people will go to polling centres. However, an election observer in Kabul told The Express Tribune that the number of registered voters has increased to 17 million with the registration of new voters in recent months. Nearly half of the voters are women.
President Hamid Karzai, who is scheduled to step down in May if a new leader is elected in the first round of Saturday’s election, has launched a fresh appeal to the people go to the polling centres without any fear and exercise their democratic right.
“The enemies of our peace and the involvement of foreign intelligence agencies in subversive activities further strengthen the resolve of our people to bring change,” the beleaguered President said in a TV advertisement in Pashto and Dari languages.
He also urged the people to accept the results whoever is elected in the landmark election and to ignore their pre-election political differences.
Karzai could stay for a few more months if the elections head to a runoff. In order to win, a candidate needs to get at least 51% of the votes.
Independent Election Commission (IEC) chief Dr Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani said polling in Kabul would begin at 7:30am and will continue until 4pm, without any break. Unofficial results could start coming after counting is completed at polling centres.
However, the official election result will be announced on May 14. If no presidential candidate receives more than 51% of the vote, a runoff election will be held on May 22.
Security measures
A veteran Associated Press photographer was shot dead and another reporter was wounded on Friday when an Afghan policeman opened fire at them in eastern Afghanistan. Soon after, people were alarmed and extremely apprehensive about the security situation on election day.
Later, Afghan Interior Minister Omar Daudzai held a press conference in which he said more than 400,000 police, army and intelligence personnel have been deployed throughout the country to secure the polls.
He said that “foolproof security arrangements” have been put in place and there is “complete coordination” among the country’s security branches.“We hope that the people will come out of their homes in maximum numbers on election day and cast their votes with full confidence.”
He asked Afghans to respond to “the enemies of Afghanistan” through their votes. “Democracy is the best response to terrorism,” said Daudzai. “We will show to the world that Afghanistan is a civilised society and their (international) investments, in generous love and treasure, during the last 13 years, have not gone in vain.”
In response to a question about the role of international forces in the election security, he said the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) assisted Afghan forces in the transportation of sensitive materials in some parts of the country, but election security was “a completely Afghan-led exercise.”
“Our reserve forces are also on red alert and all Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers are contributing in the security,”Ministry of Defence spokesman Zahir Azimi said in Kabul. He claimed foreign interests are behind attempts to derail the election process, echoing previous remarks made by other Afghan security officials and politicians.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.
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