Top UN diplomat calls for voter security

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations has urged all stakeholders to play their part in creating conditions for citizens to vote in safety and for the credibility of the electoral process to be safeguarded.

“Free from fear, intimidation and threats of violence, voters must be given every opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to cast a ballot and elect political representatives in a peaceful manner,” the UN’s top diplomat in the country said.

Tadamichi Yamamoto said the election was a civilian undertaking. Attacks directed against polling centres and civilians participating in the electoral process were clear violations of international law and may amount to war crimes.

In a statement, he stressed that perpetrators of such crimes must be held accountable and urged the Taliban to retract any instructions which could disrupt elections.

On September 17, the Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Parwan at the site of an election rally for President Ashraf Ghani. Thirty civilians were killed and 51 were injured.

On July 28, 21 civilians were killed and 50 injured in an attack on the Green Trend’s main office in Kabul.

On September 24, three civilians were killed in Kandahar when an improvised explosive device detonated at an election office of President Ghani. A local TV journalist and two children were killed.

The UN condemned all deliberate attacks on civilians and called on all parties to de-escalate the conflict around the electoral period.

UNAMA lauded the work of the security forces in supporting the elections, safeguarding the distribution of sensitive materials and ensuring the security of polling locations so that all Afghans, including women, can participate.

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