The radical Islamic Taliban have called for a boycott of the presidential election in Afghanistan while threatening violence. The population should stay away from electoral events in order not to become a potential target, it said in a statement released today.
The presidential election in Afghanistan is scheduled for 28 September. The first day of the election campaign had been overshadowed by a serious attack at the end of July. More than 20 people were killed in a car bomb attack on the office of vice presidential candidate Amrullah Saleh in Kabul.
The Taliban reject elections. In the past, they have repeatedly attacked electoral events and polling stations. According to the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the first day of parliamentary elections in October last year was the day with the highest number of civilian casualties in 2018.
