Nine killed as UN urges Taliban not to scupper vote

by Charlotte McDonald-Gibson –

July 28, 2009

KABUL (AFP) –

The top UN official in Afghanistan on Tuesday urged the Taliban not to disrupt nationwide elections, as (Taliban fighters) killed nine people and ambushed a presidential campaign manager.

A surge in attacks by Taliban fighters battling the government and allied Western (NATO) troops has raised concerns that spiralling unrest will lead to poor voter turnout and throw into doubt the legitimacy of the August 20 poll.

As only Afghanistan's second ever presidential ballot, the election is seen as a key test of US and NATO-backed efforts to install democracy and stability in a country besieged by decades of conflict.

Foreign and Afghan officials are at pains to reassure people that everything is being done to keep them safe as they vote for a head of state and provincial councillors, but on Tuesday a wave of fresh violence struck the country.

In eastern Laghman province, a campaign manager for leading presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah was shot and his driver killed.

Murtaza Qalandarzai, deputy provincial governor, said local campaign manager Colonel Ismail was travelling to address a gathering.

"His vehicle was attacked on the way to the district. His driver was killed and he is wounded," Qalandarzai told AFP.

The interior ministry confirmed the incident and said the dead driver was the manager's nephew. Abdullah was not present at the time.

It was the second attack in as many days on Abdullah's campaign and came after a running mate of President Hamid Karzai escaped unharmed when (Taliban fighters) on Sunday launched a gun and rocket attack on his convoy.

There are 41 candidates standing for president, including Karzai, who is tipped to win despite his failure to quell the raging Taliban (resistance to NATO forces).

In the south, a remote-controlled bomb planted by (Taliban fighters) ripped through two vehicles and killed eight Afghan private security guards in the province of Helmand on Tuesday, the government said.

Kai Eide, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), acknowledged that security concerns were "significant."

"There have been some attacks on candidates... over the last few days and this is not the first. This is a matter of great concern," Eide said.

"My message to everybody including Taliban is it is in the interests of each and every Afghan that elections can take place in each province, in each district, in each village, so that all Afghans can express their views and cast their vote," he said.

"It's important for all of us to see these elections reflect the will of the people. Let the operation go forward," Eide added.

The UN electoral assistance team said there were several security incidents linked to the elections over the past week, including attacks on campaign teams and numerous cases of intimidation.

These included the July 19 assassination of a candidate for the provincial council elections to be held alongside the presidential vote.

Taliban "radio broadcasts discouraging the population from participating also continue to be reported" in the southeastern and eastern areas of the country, it said in a weekly report.

Eide told reporters, however, that he was confident the Independent Election Commission and security forces were doing everything they could to "make as much of the country as possible secure for elections."

He called the polls "the most complicated elections I have seen" and praised Afghanistan for holding an election in the middle of a war.

On Monday, a spokesman for Karzai said a truce had been signed with Taliban (fighters) in the restive Bala Murghab district of northwest Badghis province, a deal aimed at smoothing security there for the elections.

But the same day, 50 kilometres (30 miles) away from Bala Murghab, militants attacked security forces, wounding two police and killing "a number of Taliban", regional police chief Ikramuddin Yawar said.

About 90,000 US and NATO troops are deployed in Afghanistan helping local forces battle a Taliban (resistance)  which is as its deadliest since the US-led invasion (of Afghanistan) in late 2001 toppled their government.