US Prez lauds Afghan voters

Washington, Aug 22: The US President Barack Obama appreciated the Afghans for casting votes despite Taliban threats.

"We knew that the Taliban would try to derail this election, yet even in the face of this brutality, millions of Afghans exercised the right to choose their leaders and determine their own destiny," he said.

"I believe that the future belongs to those who want to build, not those who want to destroy. And that is the future that was sought by the Afghans who went to the polls and the Afghan National security forces who protected them," he added.

As a step towards strengthening democracy the afghans marched to polling stations on Thursday, Aug 20. On the election day, 17 security forces, nine civilians and twenty insurgents lost their lives in the Taliban attacks.

To win President Hamid Karzai must secure 50 per cent of the vote against his two main rivals, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani.

Recently, US Marines had attacked Helmland province drive away the Talibans to aid Afghanistan's endeavour to hold presidential and provincial elections in decades.

OneIndia News