Category: World
Service
Date: 07.10.2004
Printable version
With the presidential
election in Afghanistan only two days away, the interim leader Hamid
Karzai said in an exclusive interview with 大象传媒 World Service today
that Afghans were enthusiastic about the election.
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He denied that there was a pervasive environment of
fear as the election drew near.
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He said: "I think the conditions are right for
a fairly free vote. The Afghan people have proven that they want to
have their destinies decided by themselves.
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"The fact that they got together last year to have
a constitution made for this country, the fact that in spite of terrorist
attacks and attacks on registration workers, Afghans registered 10.5
million people, almost 42 per cent of women, shows that they want to
go to the elections.
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"People who come to see me have expressed tremendous
hope for the elections. This is their chance and I think they should
take it."
Asked in Kabul by presenter Lyse Doucet whether he was worried
about a campaign of intimidation, President Karzai said: "Some
people may be afraid but the whole country is very enthusiastic about
elections. We should trust the Afghan nation. No election in the world
is free of tension. We all know that and Afghanistan cannot be an exception."
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"We have had only three years.
But because of the massive enthusiasm and will of the Afghan people
to go towards this election and to build their country in a democratic
way, we will go forwards. I very much hope that this election will produce
for the Afghan people the result that they want."
"There isn't a pervasive environment of fear. There are some warlords
who may intimidate people. The majority of Afghans
will vote the way they want to vote," he said.
The interview can be heard on the 14.00 (UK time) edition of Newshour
on bbc.co.uk/worldservice
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