Afghan presidential campaign gains momentum ahead of the August 20 poll; AIEC: Appropriate measures taken to avert rigging; Over 17 million voting cards distributed; 7000 polling stations established
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    • The Afghan presidential campaign gained momentum ahead of the August 20 elections. The rival candidates addressed several public meetings in different provinces to garner support in their favor. These are only the second such elections after the ouster of the Taliban in 2001. While Dr. Abdullah Abdullah addressed thousands of people in northwestern Faryab province, gatherings were held in support of the incumbent president Hamid Karzai in Khost and Laghman provinces. In the western Herat province, over 1500 people gathered under the aegis of Junbish Milli Afghanistan, an organization led by former anti-Taliban commander Abdul Rashid Dostum, in support of Karzai. In northern Saripul, leaders of the Ishaqzai tribe pledged their support to Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai1.

    Officials of the Afghanistan Independent Election Commission (AIEC) meanwhile stated that the commission had taken appropriate measures to avert possibilities of rigging in the presidential and provincial council elections scheduled for August 20. The AIEC has so far accredited 13 domestic observer groups, 19 international observer organisations, 38 national media outlets, 40 international media organisations and 20 political parties. 37 candidates are staking their claims in the presidential election. Essential electoral materials had already been sent to 18 provinces while for the remaining 16 provinces, they were in the process of being dispatched. Around 17 million voting cards have been distributed across the country and over 7000 polling stations have also been established2.

    In other developments, a Pentagon spokesperson stated that US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen met with top American commanders in charge of the Afghan war at an US air base in Belgium on August 2. They were briefed by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the chief US commander in the country, on the ongoing assessment of the war which will be released later in the month3.

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