20 August 2009 - 08:59 am: UNAMA's media summary from the main Afghan TV news last night is now available. A media blackout on election campaign reporting was in place.

Noorin TV Headlines

Three Taliban attacked a bank in Kabul City Wednesday morning, leaving three Taliban dead and three policemen injured.

August 19 is coincidentally the 90th anniversary of Afghanistan’s Independence Day.

President Karzai has issued instructions that all offensive operations be stopped on Election Day, according to the Defense Ministry spokesman.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked all Afghans of voting age to take part in the election. He also asked the Independent Election Commission, candidates, observers and political circles to help hold transparent elections.

Independent Election Commission authorities say they completed sending election papers to all polling stations across Afghanistan, adding that the IEC has distributed accreditations to 217,000 observers and thus assuring a transparent election.

Tolo TV Headlines

Wednesday, August 19, is coincidentally the 90th anniversary of Afghanistan’s Independence Day.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked all Afghans of voting age to take part in the election. He also asked the candidates, observers and political circles to cooperate with the Independent Election Commission in holding a transparent election.

The Independent Election Commission says it has completed sending election papers to 80 percent of the country’s polling stations, and assured that the remaining 20 percent will receive their materials by late afternoon on Wednesday.

The Defense Ministry says President Karzai has issued instructions to the Armed Forces to refrain from any offensives during Election Day.

The Media Commission of the Independent Election Commission says RTA violated the Election Law by displaying Hamid Karzai’s pictures when the ban on election campaign was in effect.

Three armed Taliban attacked a bank in Kabul City Wednesday morning, leaving three Taliban dead and three police injured.

The Afghan Government has asked the media to avoid broadcasting violence-related news on Election Day.

Ariana TV Headlines

Three suicide attackers were killed when they entered a bank in Kabul City Wednesday morning.

The Independent Election Commission says it has completed sending of election papers to 80 percent of polling stations, assuring that the remaining 20 percent will receive their materials by late afternoon Wednesday.

Residents of the Spinghar District in Nangarhar caught 14 election saboteurs. They pledged not to allow any one to sabotage the election in that district.

Eleven Taliban were killed in Uruzgan, including a commander.

President Obama congratulated the Afghan people on the occasion of Afghanistan’s Independence Day.

Insecurity has led to the decision not to open 22 polling stations out of 260 in Kunduz.

Shamshad TV Headlines

Three suicide attackers entered a bank in Kabul City Wednesday morning, leaving three attackers dead and three police injured.

Wednesday, August 19, is coincidentally the 90th anniversary of Afghanistan’s Independence Day.

On the occasion of Afghanistan’s Independence Day, President Karzai attended a meeting held at the Ministry of Defense.

The Afghan Government has asked the media to avoid broadcasting violence-related news on Election Day. The request was rejected by the Afghanistan Independent Journalists’ Association.

Akbar Bai, the head of Afghanistan’s ethnic Turkish group, says he will refer the case of Gen Dostum to the International Court of Justice.

RTA Headlines

A meeting on elections chaired by President Karzai was held in the presidential palace, and logistical and security preparations for the elections were assured by the heads of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the National Security Department, and the Foreign, Interior and Defence ministers.

In a message, Speaker Mohammad Younus Qanooni of the Lower House of Parliament asked all Afghans to take part in Thursday’s elections.

Afghanistan Independence Day was marked across the country.

President Karzai expressed his condolences over the death of two Afghan UN staff who were killed in the recent suicide attack in Kabul, and two IEC staff who were killed in Badakhshan.