As the Taliban uses extreme violence in an attempt to derail the upcoming elections, the Afghan people prepare to vote
With less than a week before the first-ever democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan, violence across the country has increased dramatically, with daily explosions and gunfights. Dozens have been killed in these assaults. Taliban insurgents have vowed to derail the presidential and provincial council elections on April 5 with bombings and assassinations.
On March 29 Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) headquarters in Kabul was attacked by four Taliban militants. The insurgents were all gunned down. On March 28 the Roots of Peace guesthouse was stormed by the Taliban, resulting in a child’s death. In another attack on Kabul’s Serena Hotel March 21, nine people including an AFP journalist, Sardar Ahmad, and an election observer, were killed.
Emma Graham-Harrison, the Guardian correspondent for Afghanistan, tweeted after the assault on IEC headquarters:
Afghan election commission headquarters under attack, their spokesman says from inside safe room. Fourth Kabul attack in 10 days
— Emma Graham-Harrison (@_EmmaGH) March 29, 2014
Another angry tweet relating to the attack on Serena Hotel read:
Karzai, NDS, and Kabul Serena security must answer the killing of #SardarAhmad … The screams of his family still in my head.
— Gharghasht (@Gharghasht) March 22, 2014
In the past, Afghan elections were characterized by a general lack of political awareness among the public. However, the 2014 campaign has seen a great difference – candidates are actively trying to reach out to citizens, traveling to different provinces in order to engage with a diverse, dispersed electorate. Posters of the candidates are all over the country and their televised debates were viewed live by millions of Afghans. Despite insecurity and definite possibilities of electoral fraud, Afghans are excited by the possibility of engaging in a genuinely competitive vote. Ahmad Shuja tweeted a photo which shows people waiting in a long line to get their voting cards.
Police trying to turn excess registrants away, but people unwilling to go away without a voter card. #afgelect2014 pic.twitter.com/gOd52Thv2T
— Ahmad Shuja احمدشجاع (@AhmadShuja) March 29, 2014
Lotfullah Najafizada’s tweet quoted a first-time-voter:
“My best weapon to fight the Taliban is my voter card,” said first-time-voter Ahmad, calling on Afghans to get armed with voter cards now.
— Lotfullah Najafizada (@LNajafizada) March 29, 2014
Afghanistan’s lame duck incumbent Hamid Karzai refuses to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States until after the elections. So far, the domestic security situation makes an unpromising background for this crucial vote. Among the Taliban’s most recent victims have been a candidate in the provincial elections, foreign NGO workers and staff at IEC offices across the country.
Featured image: Wikipedia
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