Taliban cut off inked fingers in intimidation campaign

By Ann Cahill, Europe Correspondent, Stockholm

Monday, September 07, 2009

THE Taliban are cutting the inked fingers off voters following the Afghan election in an effort to intimidate citizens from participating in any second round of presidential voting, EU ministers were told.

The results of the first round of the August 20 ballot have not been released amid reports of wholescale rigging, ballot box stuffing and intimidation. The Afghan election commission is investigating 2,700 complaints and EU observers have reported that in areas where there were just 27 registered voters over 20,000 ballots were returned.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said the Taliban were committing atrocities including cutting off fingers of voters and hanging people outside polling stations.

"There are reports of this kind of thing from every area of the country", said an EU official who attended the foreign ministers’ meeting in Stockholm over the weekend.

Even if the incumbent president, Hamid Karzai, secures more than 50% in the first round, the level of irregularities will almost certainly mean a second round of voting when the results are finally known later this month.

Ministers were told that there are many reports of Taliban searching out people with the indelible ink on their finger that indicates they have voted and cutting off the finger. This was likely to make more people afraid to cast their ballot in a second round, the meeting heard.

"The reports are horrifying. Fingers are inked to prevent people voting a second time, but now it is being used by the Taliban in this way," said the official.

Mr Bildt, who chaired the meeting said: "We are concerned about the reports of fraud and we expect the result of the investigation will be reported shortly and then we will see if a second round has to be organised."

The European Commission’s external relations head, Benito Ferrera Waldner, said the security environment was very, very difficult but everyone wants to secure a credible election.

The ministers discussed a new strategy for the EU towards Afghanistan including better co-ordination. Work has begun on the "blue book" where the activities of each country and body will be logged to ensure there is no overlap, Ms Ferrera Waldner said.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, September 07, 2009