Government assumes that Taliban will practice mass intimidation at the polls

Kabul, 16 Aug 2009. - Afghan officials announced today that its forces will observe a ceasefire on August 20 presidential election day, and acknowledged Efe that provide an insurgent campaign of "massive intimidation" with a view the elections.
Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, a colleague of Interior, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, and the head of the Afghan secret service, Amrullah Saleh, staged a press conference to calm things down a day after Taliban attack resulted in seven deaths at the ISAF headquarters in Kabul.
"To say that perfect peace will be difficult, but we must be prepared for every eventuality," he admitted Efe conference after Defense Minister, who promised to "work hard" to ensure the process.
Warzak announced the media that the Afghan authorities establish a triple safety net, made ​​by the Police, the Afghan army and ISAF the Force (ISAF) for election day.
Said Efe Minister Afghan troops are also to abstain from developing offensive operations on the day of the election, but will answer any possible attack by the Taliban, who have called the population to boycott the process.
The electoral commission has ordered 6,500 polling places, 400 more than in 2004, but there are concerns that insurgents are present mainly in the south and east of the country, commit assaults and attacks to prevent the holding of elections.
The joint press conference was in fact only a day after the suicide bombing by an insurgent against the ISAF headquarters in the heart of Kabul, which killed seven people and wounded other 91.
The interior minister, Hanif Atmar, said that security forces have foiled 62 attempted attacks in the last six months and ensured the involvement of police in the elections far reaching capabilities.
"We will deploy all our resources to protect our people, 'said Atmar Efe. But we know for sure that the enemies of Afghanistan will do the same to hurt. "
Atmar admitted however that his government can not ensure one hundred percent of the voting security in a time when the Taliban have stepped up their activities and increased its presence new parts of Afghanistan.
The insurgents, embarked on a campaign of assassinations and attacks on political activists and candidates, especially in rural areas, have come issuing threatening pamphlets citizens who decide to vote the next day 20.
"We know, Atmar said that the Taliban-resort mass intimidation, terrorist attacks, suicide bombings and attack the convoys and people with election material. "
Front provided to insurgent actions, the head of Afghan intelligence services (National Directorate of Security) revealed Efe that his organization is developing work to encourage participation and mobilization of voters.
"We are going to tribal leaders to help us to mobilize people. The proof is that yesterday in Helmand (south) a candidate was able to gather a crowd at an event just 24 hours after a suicide attack, "confided Amrullah Saleh, referring a rally of the current president, Hamid Karzai.
"It's not necessarily support to a particular candidate, but that increase participation, "he added.
Neither Saleh nor Wardak and Atmar could quantify how many of the 6,500 polling stations will be impossible to guarantee security, although a European Union observer said Efe that so far no evidence of fraud in the campaign.
According to surveys, the current head of state, Hamid Karzai, has a large advantage in estimating vote on their rivals, but with a percentage that is less than 50 percent needed to be declared president in the first round.