- Title: Afghan former prime minister and warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar votes
- Date: 28th September 2019
- Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (SEPTEMBER 28, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FORMER WARLORD AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE GULBUDDIN HEKMATYAR ENTERING HABIBIA HIGH SCHOOL HALL TO CAST HIS VOTE HEKMATYAR WALKING TOWARDS VOTING ROOM ALONGSIDE HIS ELECTORAL TEAM MEMBERS VARIOUS OF HEKMATYAR BEING REGISTERED HEKMATYAR DIPPING HIS FINGER IN INK (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) AFGHANISTAN'S FORMER WARLORD, GULBUDDIN HEKMATYAR, SAYING: "There is a lot of effort to commit electoral fraud and two electoral teams from the government (Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah teams) committed fraud by using the government facilities, and they want to fill out the ballot boxes with the fake votes. Also, most of the people are deprived of participation in the elections." MORE OF HEKMATYAR BEING REGISTERED HEKMATYAR PUTTING HIS VOTE INTO BALLOT BOX
- Embargoed: 12th October 2019 08:54
- Keywords: presidential election security Ashraf Ghani Abdullah Abdullah Taliban
- Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- City: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYKLDMV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former Afghan warlord accused of war-crimes by human rights activists, cast his ballots on Saturday (September 28) in presidential elections he hopes to win.
Fourteen candidates are registered but the race will likely come down to incumbent President Ashraf Ghani and his former deputy Abdullah Abdullah.
The winner will play a crucial role in the country's quest to end the war with the Taliban and the resumption of talks between the insurgents and the United States that were called off earlier this month.
Over 9 million Afghans registered to vote amid fears of violence and fraud. Tens of thousands of Afghan forces were deployed across 34 provinces to protect voters and polling stations from Taliban attacks.
The hardline insurgent group has threatened voters to stay away from the election or face dire consequences.
(Production: Mohammad Akram, Hameed Farzad, Hameed Farzad) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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