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| Afghan Election Date Is Set for 2014 | Afghan Election Date Is Set for 2014 |
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| KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai took a step toward fulfilling his pledge to hold Afghanistan’s presidential election on time, as officials said Tuesday that the vote had been officially set for April 5, 2014. | KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai took a step toward fulfilling his pledge to hold Afghanistan’s presidential election on time, as officials said Tuesday that the vote had been officially set for April 5, 2014. |
| If the date holds, it would avoid a repeat of one of the first in a series of controversies to mar the last presidential election, originally set for May 2009. The election, however, was delayed until August, which pushed Mr. Karzai a few months past the official end of his constitutionally mandated five-year term. | |
| The vote itself was then plagued by massive fraud, much of it in Mr. Karzai’s favor. Widespread violence also kept many voters away from the polls, especially in southern and eastern Afghanistan, where the country’s largest ethnic group, the Pashtuns, dominate and the Taliban are strongest. | The vote itself was then plagued by massive fraud, much of it in Mr. Karzai’s favor. Widespread violence also kept many voters away from the polls, especially in southern and eastern Afghanistan, where the country’s largest ethnic group, the Pashtuns, dominate and the Taliban are strongest. |
| The president, opposition leaders and the Afghan government’s foreign backers have in recent months repeatedly said they hoped to avoid the same problems in 2014, though Western officials have expressed doubts about whether a truly clean and free election can be held given the level of violence in Afghanistan and the deep-rooted corruption within the government. | The president, opposition leaders and the Afghan government’s foreign backers have in recent months repeatedly said they hoped to avoid the same problems in 2014, though Western officials have expressed doubts about whether a truly clean and free election can be held given the level of violence in Afghanistan and the deep-rooted corruption within the government. |
| Noor Ahmad Noor, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission, confirmed the April election date after reports about it began surfacing in the Afghan media on Tuesday. The formal announcement of the April 5 election date had been set to come on Wednesday. | Noor Ahmad Noor, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission, confirmed the April election date after reports about it began surfacing in the Afghan media on Tuesday. The formal announcement of the April 5 election date had been set to come on Wednesday. |
| The political opposition, in welcoming an announcement, pressed the government to ensure a fraud-free vote. Specifying the date “is not enough,” said Sardar Muhammad Rahimi, a spokesman for the National Front of Afghanistan, an alliance of three major opposition political figures, each associated with one of Afghanistan’s smaller ethnic groups. | The political opposition, in welcoming an announcement, pressed the government to ensure a fraud-free vote. Specifying the date “is not enough,” said Sardar Muhammad Rahimi, a spokesman for the National Front of Afghanistan, an alliance of three major opposition political figures, each associated with one of Afghanistan’s smaller ethnic groups. |
| Among the opposition’s top concerns is the passage of a new election law that would mandate two foreigners appointed by the United Nations sit on the country’s five-person Electoral Complaints Commission, which handles accusations of electoral fraud. | Among the opposition’s top concerns is the passage of a new election law that would mandate two foreigners appointed by the United Nations sit on the country’s five-person Electoral Complaints Commission, which handles accusations of electoral fraud. |
| Mr. Karzai has said foreigners are not needed and threatened to the veto the law, which has passed Parliament’s lower house and is being considered by the upper house. | Mr. Karzai has said foreigners are not needed and threatened to the veto the law, which has passed Parliament’s lower house and is being considered by the upper house. |
| “We are worried that the government might interfere in the elections somehow and turn it to its favor,” Mr. Rahimi said, explaining why his political alliance wants the foreigners on the complaints commission. | “We are worried that the government might interfere in the elections somehow and turn it to its favor,” Mr. Rahimi said, explaining why his political alliance wants the foreigners on the complaints commission. |
| There was no immediate reaction among Western officials or the international groups expected to help run and finance the election, including the United Nations. Some officials said they were taken off guard by the leaked announcement. | There was no immediate reaction among Western officials or the international groups expected to help run and finance the election, including the United Nations. Some officials said they were taken off guard by the leaked announcement. |
| Another major concern among Afghans and the international community is that the election is to take place just as NATO’s combat mission here is drawing to a close. How many foreign soldiers will be left in Afghanistan to help provide security remains an open question. Given the concerns over a sharp rise this year in cases where Afghan soldiers and police have killed their coalition counterparts, there is speculation among Western officials here that the pace of the coalition military withdrawal could be quickened over the next year. | Another major concern among Afghans and the international community is that the election is to take place just as NATO’s combat mission here is drawing to a close. How many foreign soldiers will be left in Afghanistan to help provide security remains an open question. Given the concerns over a sharp rise this year in cases where Afghan soldiers and police have killed their coalition counterparts, there is speculation among Western officials here that the pace of the coalition military withdrawal could be quickened over the next year. |
| The latest apparent insider attack came on Tuesday when a man wearing an Afghan police uniform gunned down two British soldiers in the southern province of Helmand, Afghan and coalition officials said. | The latest apparent insider attack came on Tuesday when a man wearing an Afghan police uniform gunned down two British soldiers in the southern province of Helmand, Afghan and coalition officials said. |
| Muhammad Naim Baloch, the governor of Helmand, said the attack took place around noon in the Grishek district of the province, an area that remains thick with Taliban despite years of coalition offensives in the province aimed at rooting out insurgents. | Muhammad Naim Baloch, the governor of Helmand, said the attack took place around noon in the Grishek district of the province, an area that remains thick with Taliban despite years of coalition offensives in the province aimed at rooting out insurgents. |
| He said in a telephone interview from Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, that it was not yet clear whether the attacker had fled or been apprehended, though coalition officials said the assailant had indeed escaped. | He said in a telephone interview from Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, that it was not yet clear whether the attacker had fled or been apprehended, though coalition officials said the assailant had indeed escaped. |
| Jamie Graybeal, a coalition spokesman, said the attack was under investigation. But he stressed that the coalition could not yet confirm whether the attack was the work of an actual policeman or an infiltrator disguised as a policeman. | Jamie Graybeal, a coalition spokesman, said the attack was under investigation. But he stressed that the coalition could not yet confirm whether the attack was the work of an actual policeman or an infiltrator disguised as a policeman. |
| If the attacker is confirmed that have been a member of the police force, it would bring the official death toll in such insider attacks, also called green-on-blue attacks, this year to 53. Four additional Western deaths appear to have been the work of insiders but remain under investigation. | If the attacker is confirmed that have been a member of the police force, it would bring the official death toll in such insider attacks, also called green-on-blue attacks, this year to 53. Four additional Western deaths appear to have been the work of insiders but remain under investigation. |
Sangar Rahimi, Jawad Sukhanyar and Sharifullah Sahak contributed reporting. | Sangar Rahimi, Jawad Sukhanyar and Sharifullah Sahak contributed reporting. |