Afghan presidential runoff
June 14, 2014
Afghans voted in a presidential runoff on Saturday, with authorities reporting few incidents of violence, despite threats by the Taliban that they would launch "non-stop" assaults against polling stations.
In the eastern province of Logar, the Taliban fired a rocket at a polling station, reportedly killing two voters. Meanwhile, two bombs exploded in Kabul, one in a trash can and another near a polling station. Two rockets also struck near the city's airport. The incidents in Kabul had no reported casualties.
Afghanistan's former foreign minister, 53-year-old Abdullah Abdullah, is facing off against 64-year-old Ashraf Ghani, who served as an official with the World Bank. In the election's first round, both candidates fell short of the 50 percent needed to win outright and avoid a runoff. Abdullah secured 45 percent of the April vote compared to Ghani's 31 percent.
Both candidates cast their ballots in Kabul on Saturday and called on Afghans to prevent electoral fraud.
"We do not want even one fraudulent vote," Abdullah told reporters, while Ghani said via Twitter: "We ask everyone to prevent, avoid and discourage people from rigging."
Given Afghanistan's poor infrastructure and difficult geography, it will take more than a month to collect and count the ballots. A preliminary result is expected by July 2 and the final result is scheduled to be announced on July 22.
Difficult road ahead
Whoever wins the election will face a daunting set of challenges. Afghanistan's institutions creak under the strain of rampant corruption, and security remains fragile in face of a still virulent Taliban insurgency.
Meanwhile, the US and NATO-led international coalition are preparing to withdraw their combat troops by the end of 2014. A major unresolved issue is the conclusion of a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between Kabul and Washington, which would govern a US troop presence after the end of major combat operations.
Incumbent President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign the BSA, leaving it for his successor to decide. Both Abdullah and Ghani have promised to sign the BSA.
US President Barack Obama announced in May that he plans to keep a force 9,800 military personnel to train Afghan security forces and conduct counterterrorism missions. Obama said the American presence would be cut in half by 2015 and only a small residual force would remain after 2016.
slk/kms (AP, AFP)