Afghan government warns voters not to protest

The Afghan government warned Sunday it would deal strictly with anyone who uses violence to protest the outcome of this month's elections, amid fears of a repeat of the bloody demonstrations in Iran.

A reported warning that Afghans could take their guns onto the streets should President Hamid Karzai win a second term on August 20 has drawn strong condemnation, with the British embassy adding this would be "unacceptable."

Ministry of Interior

"The Ministry of Interior will deal strictly with those who want to impose their wishes on the ... people of Afghanistan through the force of guns," the office said in a press release.

The ministry, responsible for securing the election, said those behind statements that cause "destruction, plunder and disturb the security of citizens" were subject to criminal charges that could earn the death penalty.

The time had passed in which people could force their wishes on each other with weapons, it said, referring to Afghanistan's decades of war.

An international newspaper article last week cited an Afghan analyst as saying that should Karzai's main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, not accept the outcome of the vote there would be violent protests.

The Ministry of Interior will deal strictly with those who want to impose their wishes on the ... people of Afghanistan through the force of guns

Ministry of Interior

Every Kabul home has a gun

"We will not have peaceful demonstrations in Kabul like in Tehran or elsewhere. People will come with their Kalashnikovs. Every single home in Kabul has a gun," analyst Haroun Mir was reported as saying.

The interior ministry wrongly attributed the statement to a member of Abdullah's campaign team. Abdullah, a former foreign minister, was forced to distance himself from the statement in a press conference on Saturday.

Another top challenger, former finance minister Ashraf Ghani, used the opportunity to call for the urgent establishment of criteria to gauge if the election is legitimate and what should happen if it is not.

"If the election results appear to be illegitimate, Afghan voters need to feel confident that a rational plan of action will take place, whether it is a re-vote or a re-count or some other action," he said in a statement.

"Our nation cannot afford a period of instability while we determine which criteria trigger which action."

We will not have peaceful demonstrations in Kabul like in Tehran or elsewhere. People will come with their Kalashnikovs. Every single home in Kabul has a gun

Analyst Haroun Mir

Britain's response

British Ambassador Mark Sedwill said separately: "Incitement of violence is completely unacceptable. There would be serious consequences for anyone involved in such behaviour."

There have been complaints that Karzai has an unfair advantage over his rivals in the country's second-ever democratic presidential vote because of his access to government resources.

There are also worries that a violent Taliban-led insurgency could prevent voting and campaigning in some areas, which would undermine the credibility of the election.

Incitement of violence is completely unacceptable. There would be serious consequences for anyone involved in such behaviour

British Ambassador Mark Sedwill