Afghan elections: Live
Afghan elections: Live
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Thursday, 20, Aug 2009 10:19
Voting is underway in Afghanistan's presidential elections, only the country's second-ever.
Polls opened at 07:00 local time (02:30 BST), but there are already reports of bomb scares deterring voters from turning out in large parts of the country.
Afghanistan's government has asked domestic and foreign media to not report on poll-day violence to not stop people from voting; a request largely accepted by the former but ignored by the latter.
Follow live updates on a polling day that will have repercussions for the entire world on inthenews.co.uk.
All times BST (four hours and 30 minutes behind Afghan time)
10:39 - Breaking reports of a town in northern Afghanistan being stormed by militants, preventing polling stations from opening.
09:40 - Eyewitness reports say tribal elders have taken to standing outside some of the most vulnerable polling stations in Afghanistan; virtually negating the risk of Taliban attacks.
09:25 - Ramazan Bashardost, the anti-corruption candidate placed either third or fourth by most pollsters, is lodging an official complaint with election officials over reports that the ink Afghans are using to place their vote is removable.
Investigations earlier this week showed that polling cards could be bought for several dollars, while there are reports today of further problems with stamping and punching machines in polling stations.
09:17 - Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah casts his vote with his family, dubbing polling day a "day of change". Incumbent president Hamid Karzai, tipped to win a second term, cast his vote hours ago before polling officially opened.
09:10 - Reports are coming in from Afghanistan of deserted streets and empty polling stations in Kabul and Kandahar, the spiritual homeland of the Taliban.
08:55 - A police chief has died, reportedly at the hands of the Taliban, in northern Baglhan province in an attack that also injured three officers.
Security is understandably high across Afghanistan today, but coalition troops are taking a backseat to avoid becoming targets for militants, with Afghan police deployed at polling stations.
08:42 - Reports of high turnout in Helmand, the beating heart of the Taliban insurgency, despite repeated blasts outside the governor's complex.
08:00 - Welcome to inthenews.co.uk coverage of presidential elections in Afghanistan. Sporadic violence has already broken out, with a child dying in a rocket strike in Helmand and a gun battle taking place in Kabul between militants and security forces.