NATO Chief Rasmussen urges the Afghan government to strive for free, fair and transparent elections in the 2014 presidential poll;
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    • According to reports, NATO’s chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged the Afghan government on October 19 to strive for free, fair and transparent elections in the 2014 presidential poll, and called it a critical juncture in the country’s quest for peace. “I think it is essential for building trust and confidence between the Afghan people and the Afghan government that the presidential elections take place in a manner that is free, fair and transparent,” Rasmussen said in an interview with Reuters on the airstrip at Camp Marmal, a military base near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. He made these remarks a day after President Hamid Karzai suggested that foreign members be removed from the election watchdog, in a step that could be seen as bolstering his grip on power.1

    In another development, according to reports, the Taliban have rejected an offer of safe passage if they join the peace process. The peace process led is by the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban have said that it is a ploy to divide the Taliban.2

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