Kandahar: The Afghan government said on Friday that negotiations are underway with some Taliban commanders in an effort to minimise violence during next week`s Presidential election.
Ahmad Wali Karzai, the younger brother of President
Hamid Karzai, told that talks with insurgent leaders in
the troubled south of the country were aimed at ensuring as
many voters as possible could cast their ballot.
"Discussions with some of the Taliban groups and their
commanders have begun at the community level in a bid to
persuade them to not create any problem on (voting) day,"
Karzai said.
"This has happened in some areas but there has not been
any agreement signed with the Taliban," said Karzai, who heads
the Kandahar provincial council, an elected body, and runs his
brother`s campaign in the violence-plagued region.
An escalating insurgency in the country`s south, and
Taliban threats to prevent people from reaching polling
stations has stirred concerns that voter turnout could be low,
thus compromising the legitimacy of the results.
The presidential vote and parallel elections for
provincial councils, is set for August 20.
The incumbent is running for a second term and analysts
say he needs to shore up his ethnic Pashtun powerbase in the
southern provinces, which have seen the worst of the Taliban
violence.
Karzai refused to give further details.
Bureau Report
