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Friday, 14 August 2009 22:26 |
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The Associated Press
KABUL -- President Hamid Karzai holds a strong lead in the Afghan presidential race but is still short of the majority he needs for a first-round victory, according to a poll released Friday with less than a week to go before the balloting.
The poll by a U.S. government-funded group suggests turnout will be crucial, especially in the Pashtun south -- the president's support base where Taliban fighters have been warning voters to stay away from the polls.
Ahead of next Thursday's vote, there are fears that election tension could boil over into street violence if presidential losers allege massive fraud. Opposition candidates have been accusing Karzai and his team of using state resources to ensure re-election. Local and international monitors are convinced there will be voter irregularities.
According to the latest poll, Karzai remains the leading candidate in a crowded field of three dozen contenders with about 44 per cent support, a rise of 13 per centage points from a poll conducted in May.
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Big crowds good sign for Karzai in re-election bid |
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Monday, 03 August 2009 22:24 |
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The Associated Press
By Jason Straziuso
Thousands of Afghans turned out to hear President Hamid Karzai speak at an election rally in northern Afghanistan. His top rival spoke to mostly empty seats in a cavernous tent in the capital.
The two events this past weekend reinforce the dominant story line of Afghanistan's second-ever presidential election: Despite all the complaints about Karzai's performance, the race is his to lose.
His main challenger among the three dozen candidates, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, has pulled in surprisingly large crowds at some events outside the capital, raising hopes among his followers that he can find a way to beat the incumbent _ possibly in a runoff if Karzai fails to win a majority in the Aug. 20 vote.
Still, Abdullah's showing in Kabul, the largest city, doesn't indicate the groundswell of support needed to topple Karzai. Although no recent polls are available, the incumbent is widely assumed to be the front-runner.
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Tuesday, 11 August 2009 19:06 |
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KABUL - President Hamid Karzai, who is seeking his reelection in the August 20 presidential elections, on Monday said, if reelected, he would strengthen the Afghan national army and police to deal effectively with the prevailing insecurity in the country. "I will increase the number of army troops from the current 85,000 to 260,000 and the police from 80,000 to 160,000," told a gathering at the building of Radio Television of Afghanistan (RTA), a government-owned radio and television, on Monday. The president announced his programmes, plans and priorities, he would implement if reelected. "My first priority will be bringing security to Afghanistan," Karzai announced. He added he would convene an urgent meeting of the Loya Jirga for talks with the two anti-government movements the Taliban and Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan. He said the Taliban and HIA leaders would be invited to the join the meeting. (Pajhwok) |
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