- Title: Afghanistan bolsters security as Taliban threatens presidential poll
- Date: 27th September 2019
- Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2019) (REUTERS) POLICE CHECKPOINT ON A BRIDGE/SECURITY PERSONNEL FRISKING PEOPLE SOLDIER CHECKING THE VEHICLE GUN-TOTING SOLDIER GUARDING A CHECKPOINT/ANOTHER SOLDIER PASSING VARIOUS OF POLICEMAN FRISKING THE PEOPLE AND VEHICLE (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) KABUL RESIDENT, HASHMATULLAH, SAYING: "We are very satisfied with our security forces and they behave very well with us. We are fine with their searching and do not have any problem. Under any circumstances, we will vote for sure." SOLDIER WALKING TOWARDS VEHICLE WITH DOG SOLDIER SEARCHING THE VEHICLE WITH HIS DOG SOLDIER GUARDING THE CHECKPOINT/VEHICLES DRIVING ON THE STREET MORE OF POLICE SEARCHING VEHICLE'S BOOT (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) KABUL RESIDENT, MOHIBULLAH, SAYING: "We can see the Afghan security personnel at all entrance gates of city and they are trying to provide security to the people, so they can go and vote and have a good election." SOLDIER ALONG WITH HIS K9 DOG CHECKING LOADED BICYCLE OF A KABUL RESIDENT POLICE CHECKPOINT ON A BRIDGE NEXT TO A HOARDING OF PRESIDENT ASHRAF GHANI A SOLDIER STANDING AT CHECKPOINT AREA NATO HELICOPTERS FLYING IN THE SKY MOSQUE IN THE CITY AFGHAN SECURITY OFFICIALS AND AFGHANISTAN'S INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION OFFICIALS ARRIVING AND SITTING FOR A NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS AND REPORTERS SEATED AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFGHANISTAN'S DEPUTY INTERIOR MINISTER, KHUSHAL SADAT, SAYING: "There are 445 polling stations decided (to be closed) at the provincial level. That (decision) included the provincial governor, three security pillars, the IEC (Independent Election Commission) and ICC - Independent Complaints Commission - leaders. The provincial level, based on the intelligence and threat reports, decided that certain polling stations and districts will be closed, and there are many reasons for it. Some of it is transportation and geography of the country, some of it is truly security threats and some of them are just common sense in order to be conservative, where you can co-locate two locations into one, where we could provide better logistics as well as security services." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) HABIBUL RAHMAN NANG, HEAD OF SECRETARIAT OF AFGHAN INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION, SAYING: "We have very good coordination with the security organisations and by the end of today, we have to send all the election materials to the polling stations so that tomorrow before the opening of polling stations, which will open at seven o'clock, everything is ready, and everyone can vote." AFGHAN FLAG END OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 11th October 2019 09:50
- Keywords: elections Kabul checkpoing Election Commission Afghanistan security checking frisking soldiers
- Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- City: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYFLG7B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Afghanistan deployed more than 100,000 troops and police on Friday (September 27) to guard polling stations in a presidential election due to be held at the weekend which the Taliban has threatened to disrupt with suicide bombings and rocket attacks.
Every election in the last decade has been marred by violence in Afghanistan, where Taliban Islamic militants are fighting U.S.-backed government forces and demand the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.
Violence in Saturday's (September 28) election, in which President Ashraf Ghani is widely expected to win a second five-year term, could deepen political instability, embolden the Taliban and set back efforts to get stalled peace talks back on track.
Of the 18 candidates, only Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, who as chief executive of a unity government is effectively prime minister, have a realistic chance of victory.
The winner will be key to efforts to forge peace with the Taliban and efforts to reset talks between the insurgents and the United States, which were called off earlier this month.
(Production: Mohammad Akram / Samargul Zwak / Hameed Farzad / Sayed Hassib) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None