Taliban threatens to sabotage Afghan poll

Bloomberg

The Taliban has warned Afghan citizens to boycott presidential elections or face attacks at rallies, as the militant group nears a peace deal with the US.
The polls are a “ploy to deceive the common people” because foreigners hold the ultimate decision-making power, according to a statement emailed by the group’s spokesman Yousef Ahmadi, referring to the US and its allies. The group that contests or controls half of the country said the elections are just a “waste of time, money and resources.”
The September 28 polls are being contested by 18 candidates including President Ashraf Ghani, who is seeking a second term, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and former National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar.
The US brokered a power-sharing deal between Ghani and Abdullah in the last elections in 2014 that were marred by violence and rigging allegations.
The violence “can prevent people from participating in the polling,” Ahmad Saeedi,
a Kabul-based political analyst, said. The deadly elections will “undermine its legitimacy.”
The militant group refuses to hold talks with the government in Kabul until it first reaches a binding deal with the Trump administration on withdrawing foreign forces.