Vote count begins in Afghan elections

Counting of votes cast in Afghanistan’s historic parliamentary elections began today, hours after al-Qaida’s No.2 criticised the legitimacy of the vote in a tape aired on Arabic television.

Trucks, helicopters and even donkeys were bringing the estimated six million ballots from far-flung regions for counting over the next two weeks to decide the make-up of Afghanistan’s first new parliament in more than 30 years.

A spokesman for the Afghan-UN election board, Aleem Siddique, said the transportation of ballots to 32 counting centres nationwide was expected to be completed by Thursday, but that counting of the votes, set to involve more than 7,000 staff, had begun in several centres today.

Afghan and international officials hailed Sunday’s vote as a major step toward democracy after decades of war and turmoil.

US President George Bush congratulated the Afghan people “for showing up at the polls and defying the Taliban and those who threaten their lives”.