KABUL:
Supporters of Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah marched
through Kabul on Saturday as fears grow of unrest erupting over alleged
fraud in the election one week ago.
Abdullah has boycotted the vote count, pitching Afghanistan into a political crisis as NATO combat troops withdraw from a 13-year war against Taliban insurgents.
The former foreign minister accused his poll rival Ashraf Ghani, outgoing President Hamid Karzai and election authorities of all committing fraud to deny him victory.
The protests began peacefully as hundreds of activists shouted slogans and carried banners that read "Fraudsters should be put on trial" and "We will defend our vote to the last drop of our blood".
"The election authorities are not impartial," Asar Hakimi, one protest organiser, told.
"All the achievements of the past 12 years are at stake. We will continue protesting if the government and the election commission continue their hostility."He said the "anti-fraud" rallies were not organised by Abdullah´s campaign, but the crowds appeared to be made up of Abdullah supporters.
Many Kabul roads were blocked off due to the demonstrations, and security forces were out.
An early morning suicide attack in the city targeted Masoom Stanekzai, a senior official at the government body responsible for exploring peace talks with the Taliban.
Police said Stanekzai escaped the blast uninjured, but that one civilian was killed and three wounded.
Abdullah has boycotted the vote count, pitching Afghanistan into a political crisis as NATO combat troops withdraw from a 13-year war against Taliban insurgents.
The former foreign minister accused his poll rival Ashraf Ghani, outgoing President Hamid Karzai and election authorities of all committing fraud to deny him victory.
The protests began peacefully as hundreds of activists shouted slogans and carried banners that read "Fraudsters should be put on trial" and "We will defend our vote to the last drop of our blood".
"The election authorities are not impartial," Asar Hakimi, one protest organiser, told.
"All the achievements of the past 12 years are at stake. We will continue protesting if the government and the election commission continue their hostility."He said the "anti-fraud" rallies were not organised by Abdullah´s campaign, but the crowds appeared to be made up of Abdullah supporters.
Many Kabul roads were blocked off due to the demonstrations, and security forces were out.
An early morning suicide attack in the city targeted Masoom Stanekzai, a senior official at the government body responsible for exploring peace talks with the Taliban.
Police said Stanekzai escaped the blast uninjured, but that one civilian was killed and three wounded.
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