Taliban again overshadow vote in south Afghan bastion

By Jonathon Burch

ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Security, not candidates, will determine whether voters in one of Afghanistan's most dangerous districts risk going to the ballot box for next week's disputed presidential run-off vote.

The first round in August was marred by fraud and the run-off is also under a cloud, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai's rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, due to announce on Sunday whether he will take part.

If it does go ahead, the Taliban have vowed to disrupt the vote, just as they threatened to do in August's first round.

Arghandab is a fertile, scenic river valley bursting with lush pomegranate orchards and grapevines no more than 15 minutes from Kandahar City, the spiritual home of the Afghan Taliban.

People come to picnic and pray at a Muslim shrine perched on a hill overlooking the valley and mountains beyond.

"I had a voter registration card but I didn't vote. Security was bad. They attacked this area with rockets," Abdul Nafe, 25, said of the first round.

"If it is like before, then I won't vote in the second round, said Nafe, who sells snacks and cold drinks to pilgrims.

The Taliban first flourished in Kandahar before taking over Afghanistan in 1996. It is an ethnic Pashtun-dominated province and Karzai's homeland, where he enjoys widespread support.