Candidate, Election Workers Kidnapped on Eve of Afghan Poll
VOA News 17 September 2010: Afghan officials say the Taliban has kidnapped 19 people, including a candidate and several campaign workers, on Friday, the eve of nationwide parliamentary elections.
An Independent Election Commission spokesman confirmed Friday that a candidate had been kidnapped in eastern Laghman province. Eight election officials and 10 campaign workers were also reported kidnapped in northwestern Badghis province
Taliban militants have already killed at least three candidates and several campaign workers in the run-up to Saturday's vote. The group is threatening to stage countrywide attacks, as it did during last year's presidential elections in an effort to intimidate voters.
The streets of Kabul were mostly quiet Friday, as police set up extra checkpoints and stopped and searched cars traveling on the main roads.
More than 250,000 Afghan police and troops, backed by international troops, will be deployed during the election.
Even so, election officials have said roughly 15 percent of more than 6,000 polling centers will not open due to poor security.
On Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed confidence in Afghanistan's security forces, saying they had a "capable and competent" plan for securing the polls.
Nearly 2,500 candidates are vying for 249 seats in the lower house of parliament, or wolesi jirga.
Separately, in southern Afghanistan, NATO says a soldier was killed in an insurgent attack. No other details were given.
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