Tabilan renew poll threats
KANDAHAR: The Taliban on Tuesday renewed threats to scupper nationwide elections in Afghanistan, vowing to launch attacks and calling on the electorate to boycott the polls.
"The Islamic Emirate is once again informing all compatriots that no one should take part in this foreign, deceiving American process. They must instead boycott it," said the Taliban in a statement emailed to AFP.
"All mujahideen must conduct their plans against the enemy, based on the program previously assigned to them, to make this plot by the enemies of Islam and the country fail," it said.
On Sunday, the insurgent movement dropped leaflets in villages in their southern strongholds threatening to attack polling centres. A spokesman said the militia would accelerate its bloody campaign on the eve of Thursday's vote.
"If anyone is harmed by mujahideen for participating in the process, they will be responsible themselves because the mujahideen have repeatedly issued warnings," the statement reiterated Tuesday.
Afghanistan's 17 million voters will go to the polls Thursday to elect a president for the second time in history, as well as 420 councillors in 34 provinces in a massive operation clouded by insecurity and logistics headaches.
The Taliban were overthrown by the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan that implanted a Western-backed administration led by President Hamid Karzai, who is frontrunner to win a second term in office.
"Except in a few big cities and the capitals of some provinces, nothing has been done in the name of elections and there is no possibility of holding elections," the Taliban said.