[AnNahar] Afghans celebrated a largely peaceful election on Saturday, as turnout exceeded predictions despite Taliban threats to disrupt the vote to choose President Hamid Maybe I'll join the TalibanKarzai
... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a
Pashtunface on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use...
's successor.
Whoever emerges victorious must lead the fight against the Taliban without the help of U.S.-led combat troops, and also strengthen an economy that currently relies on declining aid money.
The country faces a testing few months as it undergoes its first democratic transfer of power, and many Afghans fear a repeat of the fraud scandals that marred the last presidential election in 2009.
There were no major myrmidon attacks during polling, and organizers described the election as a huge success, despite complaints that a shortages of ballot papers had denied some citizens the right to vote.
"Today's election and massive participation of the people have taken Afghanistan a few steps forward to peace, stability and development," Karzai said in an address to the nation.
"This was a major effort of the people, our security forces, and all the officials who had a role in holding the election."
The open nature of the race coupled with a massive security operation to thwart Taliban attacks may have contributed to the high turnout.
The Taliban had urged their fighters to target polling staff, voters and security forces, but there were no major attacks reported during the day.
In Kabul, hit by a series of deadly attacks during the election campaign, hundreds of people lined up outside polling centers to vote despite heavy rain and the bad boys' promise of violence.
"I'm not afraid of Taliban threats, we will die one day anyway. I want my vote to be a slap in the face of the Taliban," housewife Laila Neyazi, 48, told AFP.
| A brave woman, who reminds us that freedom is paid for in blood and the refusal to be cowed by the vicious. |
Interior Minister Omar Daudzai said said four civilians, nine police and seven soldiers had been killed in violence in the past 24 hours, and added that many attacks had been foiled, without giving further details.
Attacks or fear of violence had forced more than 200 of a total 6,423 voting centers to remain closed.
Afghans have taken over responsibility for security from U.S.-led forces, and this year the last of the NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis....
coalition's 51,000 combat troops will pull out, leaving local forces to battle the resilient Taliban insurgency without their help.