KABUL: The Taliban warned Afghans Tuesday to keep away from electionrallies and ordered its fighters to “stand against” the planned Septembervote.
The Taliban and other insurgent groups conducted frequent attacks duringprevious elections, and this year’s campaign season has already been rockedby deadly violence.
The presidential election is currently slated for September 28, but has gotoff to a lacklustre start and some candidates are yet to launch theircampaigns.
Many observers think the poll will be postponed again — it has already beenpushed back twice this year — to create space for a peace deal to befinalised between the US and the Taliban.
In their message, the Taliban said fighters should “stand against thistheatrical and sham of a process to their full capabilities” — a clearinstruction to conduct attacks.
“To prevent losses, God forbid, from being incurred by our fellowcompatriots, they must stay away from gatherings and rallies that couldbecome potential targets,” a message posted on the Taliban’s website stated.
The Taliban said Afghan elections do not “hold any value”, referring to the2014 presidential poll that was mired in fraud allegations and saw the USbroker a power-sharing deal between President Ashraf Ghani and ChiefExecutive Abdullah Abdullah.
Last month, on the first day of the campaign season, suicide bombers andgunmen stormed the Kabul office of Amrullah Saleh, Ghani’s running-mate,killing at least 20 people.
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Privately, many Afghans say they have no intention of voting, given thesecurity risks and the perception of fraud.
The US and the Taliban are currently meeting in Doha for an eighth round oftalks aimed at striking a peace deal that would slash the US militarypresence in Afghanistan.
Both sides have cited “excellent progress”.
“We are discussing the final remaining points,” Taliban spokesman SuhailShaheen told AFP on Tuesday.
“With that, the peace agreement will be completed and then we will decideon the announcement of the date of the agreement.” -APP/AFP
