Local News Summary - Sept 16
In today's local news: the Taliban urge a boycott of the elections; security forces in Samangan and Sar-e Pul say they are prepared; NATO assists airdropping of election materials; Takhar candidate injured in car crash.
Taliban Call on Afghans to Boycott Parliamentary Vote
AFP, Sept 16
The Taliban called for a boycott of Afghanistan's parliamentary election after waging a campaign of violence and intimidation that has left three candidates dead. "We call on our Muslim nation to boycott this process and thus foil all foreign processes and drive away the invaders from your country by sticking to jihad and Islamic resistance," it said in an emailed statement. [Yahoo]
Samangan is All Set to Hold Elections
Pajhwok Afghan News, Sept 16
Security and election officials in northern Samangan province say that serious security measures have been put in place to ensure the September 18 election day passes peacefully. Regional Independent Election Commission (IEC) chief Abdul Malik Hanafi said strict necessary measures had been taken to maintain security for polling stations in provincial capital, Aibak and all the six districts of the province, where 96 polling centres and 292 polling stations have been established. [PAN]
Polling Materials Air-Dropped in East
Pajhwok Afghan News, Sept 16
Polling materials were flown to polling stations in a number of districts in four eastern provinces, officials said on Wednesday. The supplies were air-dropped in districts of Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar and Laghman provinces with the help of NATO and Afghan forces, said the provincial election commission office head, Abdul Malik Sulaimanzai. [PAN]
Takhar Candidate Injured in Car Crash
Pajhwok Afghan News, Sept 16
The vehicle of a candidate standing in the September 18 parliamentary election smashed into another car, injuring the candidate and four others in northern Takhar province, an official said. The Takhar governor's spokesman, Faiz Muhammad Tawhidi, said Muhammad Akram Anwari was heading to Farkhar district when his car hit another vehicle coming in the opposite direction. [PAN]
Observers to Oversee Poll Process
Pajhwok Afghan News, Sept 16
About 270,000 observers will be deployed across the country to try to prevent ballot rigging or other incidents of fraud in the September 18 election, election officials said. The observers would try to prevent the use of any fake ballots, Electoral Complaints Commission chief Syed Murad Sharifi said on Wednesday, adding that the observers would focus on areas where polling stations were most at risk. [PAN]
Governor of Sar-e Pul: All Polling Centers Will Stay Open on Election Day
8am, Dari daily, Sept 16
Syed Anwar Rahmati, the governor of Saripul province, states that security officials have worked hard to keep open all the polling centers in the province. Thus, the security situation has been declared satisfactory and all the polling centers will be open.
Security forces: We Are Ready to Hold the Elections
Anis, Dari daily, Sept 16
The officials at the Ministry of Defense say that all the security preparations for the election have been finalized. The ministry has waged 46 military operations specifically to secure the areas for holding the election. About 140 thousand members of Afghan National Army and 100 thousand police officers would be deployed to protect the election process. ISAF would help the Afghan security forces in their effort to work keep the election process safe.
