Afghanistan goes to the polls and does not fear the Taleban
Polling stations for Afghanistan's first legislative election since 1969 closed yesterday. Episodes of violence did not deter voters. President Karzai: once more the Afghan people have shown they can build their tomorrow.
Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) Vote counting is set to start tomorrow in Afghanistan where elections were held yesterday, for the first time since 1969, for the Lower House of Parliament (Wolesi Jirga) and for 34 regional Councils. Despite incidents of violence, the election was defined by most as a success with the population anxious to vote without fearing Taleban threats. According to the joint USA-Afghanistan Electoral Commission, voter turnout was "high" but probably it did not reach the 70% rate registered in the presidential election in October. Counting operations in more than 6,000 polling booths will need weeks: provisional, partial results should start coming out within two days, however definitive results will not be announced before 22 October.
"The Afghan people," said President Hamid Karzai, "have shown once again they are capable of working for their tomorrow."
Throughout the voting, security was guaranteed by more than 55,000 Afghan police and 28,000 Afghan soldiers, together with 20,000 men of the US coalition and 11,000 troops of NATO security forces.
The widespread mobilisation of forces did not prevent violent incidents from taking place. Yesterday morning, two rockets hit a UN base not far from an electoral centre in Kabul, injuring a local employee. Before the polling stations were opened, armed men ambushed a police patrol in Khost province in the east of the country, killing two policemen and injuring another two. Three of the assailants were killed by agents during the clash. Also close to Khost, two presumed suicide bombers were injured in front of a polling station which it seems they wanted to blow up.
A spokesman for the Internal Affairs Ministry defined yesterday's elections as a "great defeat for the Taleban". The joint USA-Afghanistan Electoral Commission shared his view, saying the ballot unfolded in a "pacific" way.
"We are building our country," said Mohammed Twahir, 36 years, of Kandahar. "We are choosing our parliament." In this southern city, a stronghold of the Taleban, there was consistent flow of women going to cast their vote. "I am so happy," said Khatereh Mushafiq, 18 years. "We women now are part of the government and of society. All people should have a voice.
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