Afghans are only months away from the crucial presidential and provincial elections. But fears on the security of April 5th polling has already been mushrooming. On Wednesday, the Taliban targeted Kunduz provincial head of Independent Election Commission (IEC), the highest-ranking IEC official to be killed ever since the ouster of Taliban government in 2001.

Gunmen riding motorcycles killed Amanullah Aman as he was collecting rent from shopkeepers in a Kunduz city bazaar where he owns personal property. The Taliban claimed responsibility for Aman’s murder. In a tweet Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban’s spokesman said, “At 9 a.m. this morning, Engineer Mohammad Aman head of Kunduz Independent Election Commission was killed by our Mujahedeen in Takharistan area of Kunduz city.” The incident takes place at a time when election campaign season has just started and IEC authorities are accepting candidate nominations for presidential and provincial elections.

This is alarming and it seems as Afghanistan will have to travel a bloody path to the elections next year. This time it will be the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) that will be in charge of providing security during the polls in most of the Afghan districts.

With the killing of Amanullah Aman, the insurgents have established the fact that they would put optimal efforts to disrupt the forthcoming elections by launching attacks on IEC personnel, voters and polling stations. In 2009 presidential and provincial council elections, the Taliban had copped off fingers of voters. The scenario is feared to repeat, although President Hamid Karzai has time and again ruled out any possibility of delay in elections.

There is no doubt the prevailing security situation poses serious threats to the security of the next year’s polls as based on assessment by Ministry of Interior 3,410 out of the 6,845 countrywide polling centers are insecure. Although providing 100% security to the polls next year would not be possible, it is not impossible to improve the situation in the coming months by launching targeted operations against insurgents across the country. Security of the upcoming elections will highly dependent on the intention and will of the government.

Taliban’s objective is to hinder any process that is in the benefit of the people of Afghanistan including the elections. The Taliban insurgents would try to prevent the next elections from being held. Nonetheless, they must not be allowed to succeed in the heinous intentions. Cancellation or postponement of the election would cause the greatest harm to the future of this country.