Big security concerns in Afghan election

As Afghanistan prepares for parliamentary elections tomorrow, the Taliban are threatening violence and the government is being accused of unfairness.

In Jalalabad, hundreds of protesters demanding more polling stations clashed with police.

One demonstrator said: “These people are demanding what is their right. We have been given fewer polling stations. There are not enough for this area. This is a government plot.”

The main concern around Kandahar further south is security. It is the heartland for hardline Taliban, and they have said they will unleash violence to disrupt the vote.

The group issued a statement urging the 11.4 million Afghan voters to boycott the election because it was what they called a ‘foreign process.’

Candidates have already complained of intimidation and have alleged that the police are indifferent. Female candidates in particular have been at risk in the conservative Muslim nation.

As the ballot boxes are distributed, by donkey to the more inaccessible areas, the credibility of President Hamid Karzai is increasingly in the spotlight. Last year’s presidential election was marred with fraud. Opponents say a repeat would strengthen the Taliban’s position.

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