KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghans choose a new president Saturday in a runoff election between two candidates who both promise to improve ties with the West, combat corruption and guide the nation with a steadier hand than outgoing leader Hamid Karzai.

The Taliban, who have intensified attacks ahead of the vote, issued a new warning to stay away from the polls. Afghan troops stepped up security sharply, erecting more checkpoints, searching cars and banning trucks from the streets of the capital, Kabul.

Additional Images

Afghanistan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai speaks during his last campaign rally in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 11. The Associated Press

In this photo taken Monday, June 9, 2014, Afghanistan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah greets with his supporters during a campaign rally in the Paghman district of Kabul, Afghanistan. With fears of violence high, Afghanistan braced for a final election on Saturday to choose a new president to replace the only leader the nation has known since the Taliban were ousted and guide the transition to a country that will have to wean itself off near-total dependence on international aid after foreign combat troops withdraw at the end of this year. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

With the insurgency showing no signs of weakening as foreign combat troops prepare to withdraw at the end of the year, the winner will have the task of bolstering Afghanistan’s security forces while weighing the possibility of a negotiated peace with the militants. And he will have to find a way to improve the nation’s infrastructure at a time when international aid for Afghanistan is drying up.

Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai each say they would sign a long-delayed security pact with the United States. That would allow nearly 10,000 American troops to remain in the country for two more years to conduct counterterrorism operations and continue training and advising the ill-prepared Afghan army and police.

Karzai, who has grown increasingly alienated from his one-time U.S. allies during his two terms in office, has refused to sign the pact. The issue has gained urgency as Afghans have watched Islamic extremists seize large parts of Iraq three years after U.S. troops withdrew.

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