(28 Sep 2019) Afghans are voting to elect a new president amid fears that turnout would be badly hit by disorganised balloting and threats by Taliban militants, who on Saturday targeted polling stations in the country's north and south, causing dozens of casualties. An upsurge in violence in the run-up to the elections, following the collapse of US-Taliban talks to end America's longest war, had already rattled Afghanistan in the past weeks.
Yet on Saturday, many voters expressed equal fear and frustration over relentless government corruption and the widespread chaos at polling stations.
In Kabul's Dasht-e-Brachi, a neighbourhood of mostly ethnic Hazaras, many turned up to cast their ballot despite threats of violence from the Taliban.
"We were scared, we were terrified, but when it comes to deciding our future, the Taliban can't stop us," said Tamana Frotan, one of the voters.
Tens of thousands of police, intelligence officials and Afghan National Army personnel have been deployed throughout the country to protect the 4,942 election centres.
Authorities said 431 polling centers will stay closed because it was impossible to guarantee their security since they were either in areas under Taliban control or where insurgents could threaten nearby villages.
Find out more about AP Archive:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Google+:
Tumblr:
Instagram:
You can license this story through AP Archive:
0 Comments