Afghans braved the threat of militant attacks and delays at polling booths to vo...
KABUL - Afghans braved the threat of militant attacks and delays at polling booths to vote in a presidential election on Saturday, a major test of the Western-backed Afghan government’s ability to protect democracy despite Taliban attempts to derail the polls.
The winner will play a crucial role in the country’s quest to end the war with the Taliban and any resumption of talks between the insurgents and the United States that were called off earlier this month. About 9.6 million of Afghanistan’s 34 million people are registered to vote for one of the 14 candidates at around 5,000 polling centers that will be protected by some 100,000 Afghan forces with air support from U.S. forces.
An explosion at a polling station in a mosque in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar wounded 14 people, according to a security source. In the northern Faryab province, Afghan forces clashed with Taliban fighters in six districts, forcing people to stay indoors and refrain from voting. “Talks can only begin if the Taliban exercises restraint and allows people to vote,” said a diplomat overseeing the elections.More than 400 polling centers will remain closed because they are in areas under Taliban control. Hundreds more will be closed because of security concerns.
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