KABUL, Sept 6: Insecurity, voter intimidation and self-censorship by political parties are plaguing Afghanistan just five weeks from landmark presidential elections, according to a report released on Sunday.

The report, conducted by the UN and the country's foremost rights group, found both voters and candidates for the Oct 9 polls were likely to face threats and intimidation.

While a lack of information about democracy "exposes voters to manipulation and generates a climate of uncertainty for political parties" the control of local warlords over communities "has the potential to distort the free expression of popular will", it said.

The report, conducted by a UN-Afghan body, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, said another serious issue was "insecurity in those areas where extremist groups are bent on undermining, by violent means, a political process that they fear".

These shortcomings "must be addressed in the coming weeks if the election is to realize its democratic potential", the report said. The authors noted a requirement for presidential candidates to produce photocopies of about 10,000 voter registration cards had led to the "confiscation, forced seizure and destruction of voter registration cards".

In the north and northeast there were "several complaints from across the regions of commanders and public officials improperly obtaining voter registration cards through pressure, intimidation and force", the report said.

In some areas, there has been "forced confiscation of voter registration cards by commanders, state authorities and private individuals", the report said. Elsewhere voters have been abused for not obtaining their voter registration cards.

The report's authors concluded the elections would be affected by insecurity, lack of information and the control of regional warlords and militias. They recommend a massive information campaign on the election, especially regarding the meaning of a secret vote.

Another problem would be the self-censorship of political parties, some of which are refusing to publicly state their platforms before voting. These parties have said they refuse to express their beliefs "for fear that they will suffer reprisals" and because local authorities often see them as subversive elements which must be suppressed.

Warlords, who control much of Afghanistan, and the attacks by militants such as Taliban who have threatened to disrupt the electoral process, are also limiting the exercise of political rights, the report found. -AFP