Afghan election to begin as scheduled

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Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission has said that polling will begin as scheduled at 7 am local time on Thursday despite a series of attacks by insurgents intent on disrupting the poll. The government said foreign and domestic observers will monitor the election throughout the country.

Dawood Najafizada, senior official of Independent Election Commission,said, "More than 2,000 international observers are here, and they are supposed to observe in different parts of Afghanistan. With regard to security, it is the job of the Afghan security forces to ensure it."

Afghan men carry a box of election materials at a polling station in Jamee Mosque in Herat, western Afghanistan August 19, 2009. Afghanistan has ordered Western and domestic media to impose a blackout on coverage of violence during Thursday's polls, saying it did not want Afghans to be frightened away. President Hamid Karzai is running against 30  challengers and faces a second-round run-off against the next best contender if he does not secure more than 50 percent of the vote on Thursday. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi

Polls show president Hamid Karzai leading ahead of the election, but likely to fall just short of the outright majority needed to avoid an October run-off against his main challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. Security has been tight as the election draws near. If fear of violence results in a poor voter turnout, it could jeopardize the legitimacy of the election. Violence is likely to have its greatest impact on turnout in the south, which is also the heartland of Karzai's support.