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Bloomberg
The Taliban has called on its supporters to block this month’s parliamentary elections in Afghanistan, describing the October 20 vote as a “malicious American conspiracy.”
The militant group vowed to create “severe obstacles” to prevent the elections from going ahead, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said in an emailed statement. The poll was a conspiracy to deceive Afghans and achieve “the malicious interests of foreigners,†he added.
“The elections are a nightmare for Afghanistan, as this democratic process will be held with undoubtedly increasing Taliban attacks across the nation,” said Jawid Kohistani, a former army official and now an independent political analyst. “Many may die,” he said, warning the violence may prevent some Afghans from casting their votes.
Poll Violence
The country’s Independent Election Commission said at least 54,000 Afghan forces will be deployed to secure 5,100 polling stations throughout the country on election day. About 14,000 US troops are now in Afghanistan, down from a peak of about 100,000 during the Obama administration.
Bombings at voter registration centers in the capital, Kabul, and in Baghlan province killed at least 63 people and wounded more than a hundred others in August.