Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The latest threats issued by the Taliban to disrupt next Thursday’s presidential election include “suicide attacks against polling stations” and cutting off “noses and ears of those who vote”, this according to leaflets left in the southern part of the country, but also to a lesser extent in Kabul. Equally attacks have been stepped up against the military but especially the civilian population.

“We are using new tactics targeting election centres,” Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said.

Opinion polls indicate Karzai has a strong lead—around 45 per cent—but may not win the 50 per cent necessary to avoid a run-off against his strongest challenger.

For this reason Abdul Rashid Dostum, an exiled veteran Uzbek general, was allowed to return. His supporters gave him 10 per cent of the vote in the 2004 election.

Some 6,500 polling stations will be in operation on Election Day.

The number of registered voters is up, 16.7 million (41 percent women) against 12 million in the previous election in 2004.

Some 36 candidates are running for president, including two women.

The country’s 34 provincial councils are also being renewed. About 3,324 candidates are running; 342 of these are women. In 2005 they were 3,200, including 286 women.

The first results should be made public at the end of August.

The official announcement is scheduled for 7 September 2009.