Kabul, August 19: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging Afghans to vote in Thursday’s presidential and provincial elections, despite a recent upsurge in violence.
A spokesperson for Mr. Ban issued a statement Wednesday saying “all Afghan women and men eligible to vote” should commit to peace and prosperity by casting their ballots.
The call came as fresh violence rocked the capital, Kabul, early Wednesday.
Police in the capital shot and killed three gunmen who stormed a bank about a kilometer from the Presidential Palace. Three policemen were wounded.
The identity of the gunmen remains unclear.
A Taliban spokesman has claimed responsibility, telling news agencies the incident is just one in a series of attacks planned for the eve of the election. But Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry says the men may be bank robbers
The bank’s chief executive Hayat Dayani tells VOA the men were armed with bombs and small weapons and that they had overpowered the bank’s lone guard.
Afghan and international military officials are increasingly worried about the impact insurgent attacks could have on potential voters.
At least 16 people were killed in attacks on Tuesday and the Afghan government has asked domestic and foreign media not to report violent incidents on election day for fear it could keep voters from going to the polls.
The Australian officer responsible for international efforts to provide election security said Tuesday he is concerned about the potential for insurgent attacks on polling stations. But Brigadier General Damian Cantwell also said he believes Afghan and international forces are ready to keep violence to a minimum.
General Cantwell said Afghan police will be in and around the 6,500 polling stations, Afghan soldiers will man an outer perimeter and the International Security Assistance Force will be nearby to help if needed.
NATO has also announced it will halt operations during the balloting.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called the increased violence a deliberate attempt to intimidate voters.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai faces some 30 challengers in the August 20 poll. Recent surveys indicate he remains in the lead, but there are signs the race has tightened. Candidates must win more than 50 percent of the total votes to avoid a run-off.
–Agencies