The Taliban Has Vowed to Disrupt the Afghan Elections. Candidates are Out in Force Anyway. By Pamela Constable – Washington Post
KABUL — Their faces loom from thousands of gigantic posters strung across the Afghan capital. Some express hopes for youth-driven change, diversity and modernization; others make not-too-subtle appeals for loyalty to an older generation of warlords and ethnic strongmen.
More than 2,500 candidates are running for 249 seats in Afghanistan’s parliament in Saturday’s elections, despite campaign violence that has killed 10 candidates and scores of supporters, Taliban threats to sabotage the polls, accusations of pre-election rigging, and public cynicism after years of legislative vote-buying and obstructionism.
The risks are many, but so are the opportunities, whether to champion reforms or profit from wheeling and dealing. Many candidates have curtailed public events after half a dozen deadly attacks this month, and hundreds of polling places in high-risk districts will not open at all. The campaign, however, is in full swing.
“Please vote! Vote for a clean and modern parliament. Vote to get rid of the mafia. People who buy your vote will sell it later.”…