The Afghan people may cast their ballot in the upcoming presidential election thanks to all preconditions for the vote having been met, incumbent Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told Sputnik in an exclusive interview
KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2019) The Afghan people may cast their ballot in the upcoming presidential election thanks to all preconditions for the vote having been met, incumbent Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told Sputnik in an exclusive interview.
"Afghans have to decide their own future, now Afghans can make their own decisions, technical issues and political atmosphere are provided," Ghani said when asked whether the twice-delayed presidential election was possible now.
While he noted that there were some opponents of the upcoming vote, he also gave his assurances that the atmosphere "was ready for the elections."
"Security institutions have been reformed [and] nationalized. The decision is now in the power of the nation to decide the majority," he said.
The Afghan presidential election, originally scheduled for April 20, has been delayed twice � first until July 20 and then until September 28. Ghani's tenure officially ended in May, but the government extended it by order of the Supreme Court. The multiple postponements have raised concerns among the opposition about the legitimacy of the election.
The Taliban movement, which has been fighting the government for years, has repeatedly threatened to disrupt the election process. The group has recently carried out a series of attacks that have resulted in scores of deaths and injuries across the nation. Due to the Taliban's threats to target election rallies, some candidates have suspended their campaigns.
The escalation of violence also severely hampered the Taliban-US peace talks, which, once completed, would envisage the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
The Afghan authorities have recently launched special operations and raids to eliminate security threats in areas where polling places will be located.
