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”.

In a report titled Rule of the Gun, Human Rights Watch said armed factions - some allied with the US – were using force, threats and corruption to dominate the election process. Independent political organisers were receiving death threats, while others were too scared even to get involved, it said.

“Political repression by local strongmen is the principal problem,” the New York-based rights group said. “Most signs suggest that warlordism and factional dominance will only increase.”

Millions of Afghans have registered for the October 9 vote, despite threats and attacks by followers of the Taliban regime ousted by a US bombing campaign in late 2001.

American-backed interim President Hamid Karzai is widely expected to defeat 17 challengers for a five-year term as the country’s first popularly elected leader.

But the campaign has been low-key, with some candidates saying they are too scared to venture into some parts of the country plagued by militants and unruly factions.

In its 50-page report, Human Rights Watch cited dozens of political organisers, journalists and rights activists describing the dangers of campaigning openly against local power-brokers. Few were prepared to be identified.

In northern Afghanistan, according to Human Rights Watch, UN workers, relief groups and party officials said commanders loyal to two presidential candidates - Abdul Rashid Dostum and Mohammed Mohaqeq – had “threatened local leaders to ensure that local populations vote as they command”.

Independent party activists in Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul alleged they had received death threats.

One said a caller announced himself as “the call of death” and warned: “You should get out of Kabul in 24 hours.”