High election turnout raises Afghans' hopes
Despite security threats from the Taliban, millions of Afghans waited for hours in long lines and under heavy rain to cast their votes. The Afghan elections were held without any major security incidents.
A historic day
Afghans went to the polls on April 5 to elect their next president and members of the provincial councils. The country's Independent Election Commission (IEC) had called on voters to cast their ballots in the 28,500 polling centers across the country.
Long lines
Voting started at 7:00 am (local time) with long lines of men and women waiting in front of polling centers. According to IEC estimates, about 58 percent or seven million out of 12 million eligible voters cast their ballots on Election Day. The IEC had to extend voting by an hour due to the high turnout.
Female voters
Even in the southern province of Kandahar, regarded as the Taliban’s heartland, many women were seen casting their votes. The number of female voters in other relatively safe and less conservative Afghan provinces was considerably high.
Heightened security
The elections were held amid tight security, with the Interior Ministry saying all resources had been used to ensure safety. The Taliban had previously warned voters not to take part in the elections and had launched several attacks ahead of the poll.
First democratic transition
Outgoing President Hamid Karzai was one of the very first voters. He spoke of historic elections and asked Afghans to vote for a better future. Karzai - who has been in office since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 - vowed to ensure free and fair elections. This will be the first democratic transition of power in Afghan history. Karzai is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term.
No ballot papers
IEC officials confirmed that some voters had complained about a shortage of ballot papers at several polling stations. But this was not the only issue, as security problems and allegations of vote-rigging were also reported on Election Day.
Allegations of fraud
According to IEC, more than 300,000 national and international observers monitored the vote. However, fears of fraud remain strong, especially given the allegations of massive rigging and ballot stuffing during the 2009 elections.