- Title: Voting for Afghanistan's presidential election begins
- Date: 28th September 2019
- Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (SEPTEMBER 28, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PEOPLE WAITING ON QUEUE OUTSIDE THE POLLING STATION PEOPLE ENTERING WALKING TOWARD THE POLLING STATION POLICE SEARCHING VOTERS VARIOUS OF VOTER BEING REGISTERED INSIDE THE POLLING CENTER VOTER DIPPING HIS FINGER IN INK VOTER AT BALLOT BOOTH CASTING VOTE (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) VOTER, ABDUL QADIR, SAYING: "Today, I came here to vote for my favorite candidate. So far the voting process looks fair and the election officials are monitoring the process seriously and I sure that it will be a transparent process." A VOTER ARRIVING AT POLLING CENTER FINGER BEING DIPPED IN INK VOTER'S HAND BEING REGISTERED IN BIOMETRIC DEVICE VOTER'S PICTURE BEING TAKEN BY ELECTION EMPLOYEE VOTER BEHIND BALLOT BOOTH BALLOT BOX VOTER CASTING HIS VOTE INTO BALLOT BOX ELECTION EMPLOYEE TAKING PICTURE FROM VOTER IDENTITY CARD (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT EMPLOYEE, IMAM MOHAMMAD, SAYING: "It's the responsibility of Afghans to take part in such national and democratic process and to choose their faith and destiny. It's early in the morning but later the number of voters will be high."
- Embargoed: 12th October 2019 06:05
- Keywords: presidential election security Ashraf Ghani Abdullah Abdullah Taliban
- Location: KABUL,AFGHANISTAN
- City: KABUL,AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYKL83R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Afghan voters went to the polls on Saturday (September 28) to choose a new leader with incumbent president Ashraf Ghani widely expected to win a second five-year term.
But there are concerns his re-election could deepen political instability, embolden the Taliban and set back efforts to get stalled peace talks back on track.
As voting got underway explosions hit Kabul as well as the Afghan cities of Ghazni and Jalalabad and Kandahar.
Over 9 million Afghans registered to vote amid fears of violence and fraud. Tens of thousands of Afghan forces were deployed across 34 provinces to protect voters and polling stations from Taliban attacks.
The hardline insurgent group has threatened voters to stay away from the election or face dire consequences.
(Production: Mohammad Akram, Hameed Frazad, Sayed Hassib, Masako Iijima) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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