Afghan people voted in presidential elections (UPDATE)

August 21

09:37

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Western allies have pronounced the country's election a success, after voting passed off largely peacefully, BBC reported.

There were some attacks by insurgents, but the UN says the vast majority of polling stations were able to function.

President Karzai is facing challenges from about 30 rivals. Official results are not expected for two weeks.

"The Afghan people dared rockets, bombs and intimidations," he told reporters as polls closed following a one-hour extension.

Speaking on state TV, the director of Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission, Azizullah Loudin, claimed turnout had been "high".

Apart from the earlier gun battle in Kabul, the city was mainly reported to be quiet, with a brisk turnout in some polling stations while there was little activity in others.

Fewer people voted in the south and east, where militant influence is greater.

Official preliminary results are not expected until 2 September, with the full final results scheduled for 17 September, but there may be earlier indications.

If the winning candidate fails to gain more than 50% of the vote on Thursday, there will be a second-round run-off in October.

August 20

17:14

Afghan police and Taliban militants are shooting at each other in Kabul.

At present, over 50 cases of falsification were revealed during the presidential elections, the head of presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah's election campaign Fazil Sancharaki said.

"Presidential elections are held peacefully. Population's turnout can be called satisfactory. But we revealed more than 50 cases of falsification," Sancharaki said.

Sancharaki said pro-governmental forces oblige people to vote for Karzai through threats at several polling stations.

"We got information that election bulletins were brought late to several polling stations. We expect Abdullah to get at least 90 percent of votes at these stationss. Moreover, several polling stations opened very late. Therefore, we will lose some votes of electors," Sancharaki said over telephone from Kabul.

He also added that the election commission received an inquiry from Abdullah's election staff concerning giving certificates for 29,000 observers as even half of certificates were not given. The inquiry also reflected presence of an observer of the staff in each polling station.

"Ballot boxes were brought without participation of our representatives in several stations. Ballot boxes were brought without participation of our observers in 14 cities of Gazni Province," Sancharaki said.

13:51

The police is trying to dislodge three alleged suicide bombers out of the building at the east of the city. According to the unnamed source, “both sides shooting at each other. The militants took refuge in a building located near the police.”

Taliban representatives confirmed that their militants are involved in clashes with police. They said  about 20 militants have penetrated into in an attempt to disrupt today's presidential elections in the country.

12:47

Armed rebels took over the polling station in the vicinity of Karte-Naw in the south of the Afghan capital on day of the presidential elections, military sources said.

10:15

Some 17 million out of 29 million population of Afghanistan have the right to vote. Since the beginning of the U.S. military operations in Afghanistan in 2001, this presidential election will be the second.  Hamid Karzai won the 2004 presidential elections by 55 percent of votes.

In the current presidential elections the main rivals of Karzai are former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzi. Taking into account the intensified activities of Taliban in the southern regions of the country, high voter turnout is not expected in this elections. Afghan government takes special security measures on the election day.

The government asks the media not to disseminate information on the acts of violence on the election day in order not to avoid low voter turnout. Representatives of 76 international organizations will monitor the presidential vote.

/Trend News/