Hamid Karzai

The first vote, which pits U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai against a half-dozen challengers from across the fractured Afghan political spectrum, is seen as a referendum on the slow rebuilding of the war-ravaged nation.

After a series of deadly attacks on election workers, it will be a challenge for Afghan and international forces who have vowed to protect elections delayed from June.

Zakim Shah, head of the joint Afghan-U.N. electoral commission, said the body "decided to hold the presidential election Mizan 18" -- a date in Afghanistan's calendar that corresponds to Oct. 9.

Shah said a parliamentary vote was likely in April, and appealed to Afghan authorities and the international community to do more "to create a more secure atmosphere for the candidates and voters."

Karzai is expected to secure a five-year term against contenders who may struggle to attract votes across ethnic or geographical boundaries. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held two weeks later.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 17, 2004
(C) All rights reserved