Afghanistan presidential election: All the latest updates – Aljazeera.com

Balloting is below association in Afghanistan’s presidential election, the fourth for the cause that descend of the Taliban in 2001.

Incumbent President Ashraf Ghani is taken into account as a result of the frontrunner inside the 14-man flee, with Abdullah Abdullah, the nation’s chief government, thought to be his predominant rival.

Safety forces are on extreme alert on account of threats from the Taliban to assault polling stations.

Proper listed here are all of the most recent updates:

No contact with an entire bunch of polling centres

Afghanistan’s Self sustaining Election Fee (IEC) acknowledged it had misplaced contact with 901 of the nation’s 5,373 polling centres.

Habib-Ur-Rahman Nang, head of the IEC secretariat, acknowledged the price was as quickly as no longer prepared to speak with polling services inside the provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz and Baghlan, the connect telecom companies weren’t thrilling, native media TOLO Information reported.

Other than, 464 polling services in 17 provinces had been closed, at the side of 33 centres which lacked election provides, election commissioner Mawlana Mohammad Abdullah acknowledged.

‘Trying to find to take my vote’

A voter named Shahla acknowledged electoral employees at Naderia Extreme College in Kabul’s Kartei Parwan neighborhood refused her permission to strong her ballotsince the system confirmed she had already voted.

“I’ve voted right here sooner than with the same ID. If I had already voted as soon as this day, why is now not my finger marked with ink?”

“I’m now not illiterate, why would I pause such a thing? They are looking to take my vote with a ridiculous, baseless claim,” Shahla knowledgeable Al Jazeera, expressing her madden and disappointment.

‘Inner and exterior in a fast time’

Mustafa Azizi acknowledged he did no longer face any issues balloting at a faculty Chelsetoon, in west Kabul.

“All the pieces was as soon as tremendous, I used to be as soon as in and out in a quick time,” he acknowledged.

“I didn’t explore someone complaining but I’ve heard reports of considerations at [Kabul’s] Habibia [area].”

Issues reported with biometric units

Dozens of folks had been turned away or wanted to appear ahead to hours to vote at Kandahar’s Sayeed Jamaluddin Extreme College on account of issues with two biometric units, in keeping with reviews.

Some 600 people had been registered at this centre.

Comparable issues had been reported in Kunar province.

Afghan president hails landmark polls 

Ghani strong his ballotin Kabul, hailing the election as a connect of strengthening democracy in Afghanistan.

“It’s a ways a moment of delight for me that a serious share of the election prices procure been paid by the Afghan authorities,” he acknowledged.

Ghani additionally stressed the want for equity and urged election observers to look at the approach.

Balloting delays, heavy safety

Self sustaining Election Fee employees confirmed up unhurried at a polling house in Kabul’s Herati Masjed, delaying the balloting job by nearly an hour.

Not now lower than 4 people were turned away after balloting started amid issues with voters’ names displaying inside the electoral roll.

“The IEC is hiring incapable, illiterate folks, right here’s why it is taking place,” Shah Bolbol, who waited for 3 hours to vote, knowledgeable Al Jazeera.

He was as quickly as requested to move to the IEC workplaces as his determine did no longer appear on the voter guidelines.

Then once more, others had been able to vote with none issues.

“The companies had been simply acceptable, the security was as quickly as simply acceptable. I was as quickly as very happy to move and vote. No particular person was as quickly as petrified,” Mohammd Wahid, a Kabul resident, knowledgeable Al Jazeera.

Low turnout reported in Kabul

Reporting from a polling house in Kabul at 10am native time, Al Jazeera’s Tony Birtley acknowledged the turnout perceived to be low in distinction with the 2014 presidential polls.

“Five years within the past, when presidential elections had been held there procure been traces of oldsters right here and now I procure barely considered 200 folks which had been voted right here within the leisure two hour,” he acknowledged.

“Or now not it is either as a result of the safety space or because folks right here change into very disillusioned with the political space. Five years within the past, they had been promised gigantic changes, such because the economy and security will likely be improved, but none of that occurred. So folks right here possess if they vote it would be more of the same.”

Birtley acknowledged there procure been reviews of explosions in Kandahar and inside the north of Kabul, whereas a mortar was as quickly as reportedly fired in Helmand province.

Blast at Kandahar polling house wounds 15

Not now lower than 17 people had been wounded when a bomb exploded out of doorways a polling house inside the southern metropolis of Kandahar, a hospital respectable acknowledged, hours after the polls opened.

Naimatullah, the head of a regional hospital who most interesting has one determine, knowledgeable AFP information firm that “15 people – all males – had been injured and had been dropped at the hospital”.

Balloting below association throughout Afghanistan

Polls opened throughout Afghanistan inside the nation’s fourth presidential election for the cause that Taliban was as quickly as eradicated from vitality in 2001 in a US-led invasion.

Balloting stations are scheduled to close at 5pm (12: 30 GMT). 

Be taught extra proper right here.

Safety tops voters’ issues

In the lead-as much as the vote, the precarious safety house and the struggling economic system perceived to be dominating voters’ issues.

“In Afghanistan, from the moment you procure up to for these who put your head all the arrangement down to sleep, you’re in hazard,” Kabul resident Farooq Saidzada acknowledged.

Be taught extra proper right here.

All you may have to learn about the polls

Who’re the candidates? What are the predominant issues? What’s being carried out to be explicit safety?

Plod proper right here to find the solutions to those questions – and association extra.