FOCUS: To vote or vote not: people in S. Afghanistan remain undecided
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Taliban militants have not only boycotted the elections and called on people to fight a holy war against foreigners in the country, they have also warned people not to be found after election day with their fingers inked.
''We have been warned by Taliban that if we vote and they found our people with their fingers inked they would be in trouble,'' Haji Sultan, an elder in Marja district of Helmand Province, said by telephone.
Voters have their fingers inked to prevent voting more than once. The ink stays on fingers for at least three days.
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But the concern of many is about what happens after the polls and whether the security forces will be able to provide security for those who vote.
Their inked fingers will be a clear mark for Taliban harassment.
''Our elders' council asked the Afghan election commission if it was possible to vote without our fingers being inked, but they did not accept that,'' Sultan said.
And election commission spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor said it is impossible for voters to avoid having their fingers marked.
''It is not possible...this is to avoid fraud and multiple voting,'' Noor said.
''The security forces have assured us they will provide all necessary security for the people to vote,'' he added. ''The people should trust the security forces and not worry. They should go to polling centers and vote.''
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When something happens to the voters.. The Afghan authorities will simply go and say "That was quite a misfortune. We are very sorry as that we have tried our best. Please rest in peace now!".
It is obvious that the Afghan authories have little concern about the safety of the voters as long as they cast their votes which indicates that chances are some of the election authorities are actually members of the Taliban or that the election authorities simply want to oppose the Taliban at all costs, even if it means to utilize the voters as expandables. One look at the situation or the other, it generally seems that the voters are the ones at a disadvantage.