KABUL, Afghanistan
Afghans will go to the polls on Saturday to chose their new president despite threats from the Taliban to target anyone involved in the elections.
The majority of the 70,000 polling stations across the country will be open, say Afghanistan's Independent Electoral Commission. This is a despite Taliban warnings that they will target everyone who attends election campaigns, works for the election commission and participates in the election. During previous elections in 2005 and 2009, the Taliban are alleged to have attacked voting centres and cut fingers of those who went to polls.
Peace talks with the Taliban over the last decade never got off the ground. The Taliban imposed conditions to enter into a dialogue with the government, primarily, withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. Karzai believes that the country's peace depends on U.S. and Pakistan.
The Taliban have never recognized the Karzai government, describing them as 'puppet of the U.S.'. They also claim that the new president has been already determined by Washington.
These elections will mark the end of current president, Hamid Karzai's 13 years as leader in Afghanistan, as under Afghan law he cannot run for a third term.
Afghans will be able to chose from eight candidates including: Ashraf Gani Ahmadzai, Abdullah Abdullah, Gul Agha Sherzoi, Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf, Zalmai Rassoul, Daoud Sultanzoy, Hedayat Amin Arsala and Qutbuddin Hilal.
President Hamid Karzai's brother Qayoum Karzai and Abdul Rahim Wardak withdrew their candidature.
Meanwhile, almost all candidates support signing a 'Bilateral Security Agreement' (BSA) with the U.S. The U.S. and Afghanistan have spent months negotiating a deal which would allow thousands of NATO soldiers to stay in Afghanistan until 2024 and beyond. Karzai has refused to sign the deal unless US forces end airstrikes and raids on Afghan homes.
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