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First indications of Afghan poll result out today
Ed Harris25 Aug 2009
Preliminary results in Afghanistan's elections were being announced today amid allegations of fraud and fears that Taliban intimidation stopped many people voting.
The Independent Electoral Commission was due to give an early indication of results and turnout, as critics questioned whether sacrifices made by British troops had been enough to persuade voters it was safe to exercise their democratic right last week.
First partial results - a tiny sample - from last week's presidential election may do little to resolve a dispute over the outcome. Establishing exactly how many voted in Helmand province, where most UK forces are based, is fraught with doubts about official figures and the extent of ballot rigging. US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry said: "We're really not going to know for several weeks Millions turned out to vote but Taliban intimidation, especially in southern Afghanistan, certainly limited those numbers."
Some reports suggest turnout in the province was five or 10per cent. One Western official said an "intelligent guess" would put the figure at about 20 to 35per cent. Either would be a significant fall from the 68per cent in the 2004 presidential election, when the area was more peaceful.
A low Helmand turnout could damage President Hamid Karzai's hopes of reaching the 50 per cent support he needs to avoid a damaging second round of voting. He enjoys strong support among fellow Pashtuns there.
The commission will announce the certified results on 17 September.
