Final votes cast as Afghan election marked by violence and chaos ends

The final votes were being cast across Afghanistan on Sunday on a second day of parliamentary elections that were marred by violence and fraught with problems that left many sites closed.

The IEC had extended voting times by two hours, to 6 pm, on Sunday due to people still filling out their ballots and promised that staff would stick around until the last person had voted.

Of the 401 polling stations that were supposed to open, only 253 actually did so, while the rest remained closed, a spokesman for the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Shaima Soroush, told journalists. 

A total of 4,900 polling stations were due to open on Saturday, but irregularities abounded, with some never opening, others having no election material and still others reporting technical issues.

According to Thomas Ruttig, co-director of Afghanistan Analysts Network, the election was the worst he observed since 2004. He described it as chaotic and poorly prepared, with biometric devices arriving too late and a lack of control by the election commission.

More than 3 million people voted on Saturday and data from 253 polling stations was still expected, said IEC chief Abdul Baddi Sayyad during a press conference late Saturday.

Some 8.8 million Afghans had registered for the election, according to IEC statistics.

Sayyad acknowledged negligence by IEC staff and site managers, adding that staff hired for the process in some provinces did not show up to the sites due to threats by the Taliban. The militants had earlier warned teachers against working for the commission or allowing their schools to be used as polling stations.

The militants had also repeatedly warned voters against casting their ballot or taking part in the "evil process".

Eleven civilians, including a woman and six children, were killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Sunday after their station wagon went over a bomb in Achin district.

Up to 28 people were killed and 102 others were injured in 192 security incidents across the war-torn country on Saturday,

Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told TV station ToloNews.

In the Balkh province, four election monitors of a parliamentary candidate were killed on election day, a spokesman for the governor said on Sunday, adding that they were ambushed by Taliban fighters. However, the Taliban denies having any involvement in the incident.    (dpa)