WASHINGTON — Afghanistan is bracing for possible violence ahead of Saturday’s presidential election.
Amid an effectively stalemated war and postponed U.S. peace talks with the Taliban, the insurgents are threatening to attack polling stations, and some political candidates, concerned about potential fraud, are threatening violence if elections are not considered fair and transparent.
This is the fourth presidential election in Afghanistan since 2001, when the U.S.-led coalition toppled the former Taliban regime for harboring within its borders the al-Qaida militants who carried out the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States.
The insurgent group has since viewed the Western-backed Afghan government as a “puppet regime” and have been engaged in a bloody insurgency against it that claimed tens of thousands of lives, mostly civilians.
The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the elections during the campaign season and Thursday once again threatened voters to stay away from polling centers.
The group has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in recent weeks across the country, targeting rallies and voter registration centers, killing and injuring dozens of people mostly civilians.
“The Islamic Emirate directs its Mujahideen to prevent this process throughout the country by making use of everything at their disposal and activate their plans for its neutralization,” a Taliban statement read.
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Meanwhile, in an interview with The Associated Press this week, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former U.S.-designated global terrorist and now a presidential candidate in the elections, warned of violence if Saturday’s polls are fraudulent.
“The situation will spiral out of everyone’s control and neither the government nor the foreign forces will be able to bring a halt to it,” he told The Associated Press, without elaborating.
He gave a more blatant warning while speaking to his supporters during a rally in Kabul this week.
“Do not make us regret our return, do not make us regret entering (the) election, do not make us use other means, we can do it and we have experience of it as well,” Hekmatyar said.
Hekmatyar later softened his tone during a presidential debate arranged by Tolo TV, the country’s largest private television station, following condemnation by United Nations that urged all parties to avoid attacking polling centers and civilians participating in elections, charging the actions would amount to war crimes.
“In regards to fraud, I believe fraud would take place. Plans have been laid out for large-scale fraud. We have invited everyone to use election as a means to resolve the current crisis of the country,” Hekmatyar said.
“Unfortunately, they did not listen to us enough, both internal stakeholders and external stakeholders. I did not say that we would go back to our stronghold [war]. We simply said do not push us to go back to the stronghold,” he added.
Hekmatyar has accused the front-runner and incumbent President Ashraf Ghani of abusing his power to win another term, an accusation the Afghan government has rejected.
Hekmatyar said if elections are transparent, his team would win, citing his election rallies around the country in recent weeks that according to him had attracted thousands of his supporters.
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, President Ghani’s partner in the unity government and his main rival in the elections also warned that people would not accept fraudulent elections.
“We all are concerned about potential fraudulent elections and we all have the will and resolve to prevent fraudulent elections,” Abdullah said during Wednesday’s presidential debate.
“If they resort to fraud [in the elections] they would be responsible for the consequences of another fraudulent elections which could come at the expense the sacrifices of the Afghan people,” Abdullah added.
All major candidates, including the incumbent president, have shown confidence that they would win the elections.
In an interview with the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Afghanistan service, President Ghani said Wednesday that he is hopeful he would win the election during the first round.
“My prediction is that we will win during the first round if God willing ... but that decision rests with the people of Afghanistan,” Ghani said.
He did, however, say that this time around Afghanistan would have only one leader rejecting the idea of a potential coalition government.