Afghan elections 'hijacked by warlords'

Elections heralded as the dawn of democracy in war-ravaged Afghanistan will be hijacked by warlords who are able to intimidate voters and candidates to entrench their own power, a leading rights group warned today.

The US ambassador has acknowledged problems ahead of the country’s first-ever direct presidential vote on October 9, but insisted that recent demotions for faction leaders and a belated disarmament drive are “breaking the back of warlordism”.