Afghans turn out to vote despite sporadic violence

Millions of Afghans went to the polls yesterday, defying Taliban threats of violence and sporadic attacks to choose a president in the midst of a worsening war.

"The Afghan people dared rockets, bombs and intimidation and came out to vote," President Hamid Karzai told a news conference after polls closed.

"We'll see what the turnout was. But they came out to vote. That's great, that's great."

Preliminary results are not due for two weeks.

The Afghan government said nine civilians and 14 members of the security forces were killed in a total of 135 incidents countrywide on polling day.

Rockets fell on towns, especially in the south and east, and two gunmen wearing suicide vests were killed in a gunbattle in Kabul, but the Taliban failed to mount a single spectacular strike that could threaten the poll itself.

Violence in the morning tapered off as the day went on.

"Overall, the security situation has been better than we feared. That is certainly the most positive aspect of these elections," said Kai Eide, head of the UN mission in Kabul.

"The security situation has, in general, allowed people to take part in the elections," he said.

Pre-election polls showed Mr Karzai, in power since 2001, is likely to win but not by enough to avoid a run-off against his main challenger, his former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, who ran a surprisingly energetic campaign. If Mr Karzai fails to win more than 50 per cent of the vote he will face a run-off in October, most likely against Mr Abdullah.

The election is in large measure a referendum on Mr Karzai, a master coalition builder who is personally liked by most Afghans but also widely blamed for running a government that is corrupt, ineffective and entirely dependent on international aid.

The President relied for votes on the endorsements of many of the country's notorious former militia chiefs, raising alarm among his Western backers that the cost of a victory in the election could be a return of warlords to power.

The election was also a test for US President Barack Obama, who has ordered a massive troop build-up this year as part of a strategy to reverse Taliban gains. US officials were clearly relieved that election-day violence had not been worse.

"Lots of people have defied threats of violence and terror to express their thoughts about the next government for the people of Afghanistan," White House spokes-man Robert Gibbs said.

Polls were kept open an extra hour because some stations had temporarily shut for security reasons during the day. Taliban militants had repeatedly vowed to disrupt the poll. The head of the National Directorate of Security, Amrullah Saleh, said authorities thwarted plans by the fighters to attack a hotel in Kabul and a government ministry.