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The parliamentary election in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar will be delayed by a week after the assassination of one of the country’s most powerful security chiefs dealt a stunning blow to the Western-backed government.
Key points:
- Afghanistan goes to the polls on Saturday amid security concerns
- There have been deadly attacks during the campaign by the Taliban and Islamic States militants
- The election is a major test of the government’s credibility
General Abdul Razeq, the Kandahar police commander and a formidable opponent to the Taliban, was killed outside the provincial governor’s office when a bodyguard opened fire on a group of officials as they left a meeting with General Scott Miller, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
The Kandahar intelligence chief, Abdul Mohmin, was also killed in that attack, but the condition of the province’s governor, Zalmay Wesa, who was wounded in the assault, is unknown.
General Miller was not injured but the regional intelligence agency commander was killed and the provincial governor severely wounded, decimating the leadership of one of the country’s most strategically important provinces.
“My assessment is that I was not the target,” Mr Miller told Afghanistan’s Tolo News TV.
“It was a very close confined space. But I don’t assess that I was the target.”
The decision to suspend the vote in Kandahar province was taken over the objections of some officials who warned that any delay would threaten the whole process and hand the Taliban a major propaganda victory.
The Taliban issued a fresh warning not to take part in the election on Saturday, telling people to stay at home and pledging attacks on schools and other buildings used as polling centres.
Violence ahead of elections
There have been deadly attacks against candidates and campaign rallies, both by the Taliban and Islamic States militants, underlying how precarious the situation remains in Afghanistan after more than 17 years of war.
Since the 20-day campaign period began, at least two candidates and over 34 civilians have been killed in such attacks, including suicide bombings, motorcycle bombs and drive-by shootings.
In the run-up to campaigning, five candidates were killed and two were abducted, their fates unknown.
Afghan security forces accidentally killed three bodyguards of an independent candidate during a raid on a house near his residence.
The elections at a glance
Saturday’s election had been seen as a major test of the government’s credibility and ability to organise a nationwide ballot ahead of the more important presidential election next April.
There are 2,565 candidates vying for 249 seats in the lower house of parliament, including 417 women candidates.
Around 8.8 million people have registered to vote out of an estimated 30 million population.
A few parties have emerged in opposition to the current national unity government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, but none can be considered major players as most candidates in the vote are running as independents.
Elections will not take place in eastern Ghazni province amid an ongoing dispute over how to divide its electoral constituencies to ensure a more balanced ethnic representation.
In the last elections, eight years ago, minority Hazaras won all the seats from Ghazni, leaving majority Pashtuns and also Tajiks without representation as voting wasn’t held in their areas, which are mostly controlled by the Taliban.
Officials say elections won’t be held in 10 districts that are completely under Taliban control, including five in southern Helmand province, a Taliban heartland.
What is at stake?
The Afghan government is keen to prove it is capable of holding these elections despite prevailing security challenges.
The vote was originally scheduled for 2015 but the situation was too unstable at the time.
Now, the government wants to send a message to the Taliban — who are engaging in separate negotiations with the United States on a possible political settlement — that its institutions are functioning, and that if the Taliban decide to come to the negotiating table, they will have to deal with a government and a political process that’s acceptable to the majority of Afghans.
Reuters/AP
Topics: world-politics, elections, unrest-conflict-and-war, afghanistan
