KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2019) Presidential elections in Afghanistan will be held at the end of this month, as scheduled, and strict security at polling stations will be ensured amid heightened Taliban activity, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says.
"All preparations have been done for the election, there is no obstacle that will hamper and delay the election process, elections will be held on time, Afghans will participate," Ghani stressed on Tuesday, speaking in Kabul on the occasion of Ashura Day.
The president said all preparations were complete, the commissions had done their job and Afghan forces were set to ensure that the polling stations would be secure.
In recent days, the Taliban has conducted a number of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan killing dozens of people, including a US serviceman. Concerns about the upcoming presidential elections have been high amid the attacks.
Former Paktika Province governor Aminullah Shariq says that if the presidential elections are interfered with, the consequences could be controversial.
"Now confidence in the election is high that it's going to be held on time," Shariq said, adding, however, that what he is concerned about is fraud, which could potentially lead to a new crisis in the country.
Due to low confidence in the electoral process, some candidates have not launched campaigns at all. Low turnout is also feared amid security concerns.
Presidential elections in Afghanistan are planned for September 28. According to Afghan Defense Ministry Spokesman Fawad Aman, special operations have been launched in order to eliminate any possible security threats in areas where polling stations will be located.
