As US diplomats and representatives of the Taliban get closer to a final peace agreement, it is becoming increasingly uncertain what the significance of the Afghan presidential election scheduled for September 28 will be, and if the vote will be held at all.
Taliban leaders have warned with attacks on election day if the vote isn’t cancelled, yet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has insisted that the ballots will open as planned, with a presidential spokesperson saying that “we as a nation have sacrificed in the past 18 years for our republic, and if we do not hold the elections it could be a setback to our democracy — for the sacrifices we have paid.” However, uncertainty about the election has become so widespread that even various presidential candidates have acknowledged the vote will probably be canceled. Many people in Afghanistan believe the US government does not want the elections to take place if this would threaten a potential peace agreement with the Taliban to end the war after 18 years.
Read more: Taliban Peace Talks Cast Uncertainty on Presidential Vote
