Afghans voted Thursday to elect a president for only the second time in history as the government and the West acclaimed the ballot despite fears of poor turnout after a day of sporadic Taliban violence.
US President Barack Obama and NATO joined President Hamid Karzai -- bidding for another five years in office -- in saying that the war-weary Afghan people had defied threats of militant violence to exercise their democratic rights.
"The Afghan people dared rockets, bombs and intimidation and came out to vote," the Western-backed Karzai told a televised news conference as polling wound down, hailing a "day of pride and glory" for the country.
Insurgents stormed the small northern town of Baghlan, sparking clashes that left up to 30 militants dead according to the governor, and officials said scattered unrest killed 26 civilians and security personnel.
"Overall the security situation has been better than we feared. That is certainly the most positive aspect of these elections," the UN representative in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, told a news conference.
"By exercising their constitutional right to vote, the Afghan people have demonstrated again their desire for stability and development in their country," said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Officials said it would be some days before they could determine how many of the 17 million registered voters had cast their ballots, but Interior Minister Hanif Atmar said the government was "satisfied" with turnout levels.
However, international observers said turnout was likely to be lower than the roughly 50 percent reached in the 2005 parliamentary elections and significantly lower than the 70 percent figure during the 2004 presidential election.
They said the numbers could be particularly low in the south, where the Taliban insurgency is at its bloodiest despite a US and NATO campaign to pacify the lawless nation.
"Turnout (in Kandahar) is definitely very, very low, significantly lower than in the north," one Western diplomat told AFP, referring to the capital of the Taliban's 1996-2001 regime.
"I have driven around the city (Kabul) and the situation is varying from time to time, but I have seen no queues and it is definitely very quiet, much quieter than in 2004," he added.
Another European diplomat estimated that turnout in some parts of the south was as low as 10 percent.
But despite the fears over voter numbers, Obama was upbeat.
"We had what appears to be a successful election in Afghanistan despite the Taliban's efforts to disrupt it," he said in a White House interview with a US radio host.
The White House earlier said the United States would withhold judgement until the release of final results, which Afghanistan's election commission says will not come before next month.
Afghans were electing a president and 420 councillors in 34 provinces across the country, where grinding poverty, rudimentary infrastructure, corruption, illiteracy and daily bloodshed remain the norm.
Voting at some sites was extended beyond the scheduled close of 1130 GMT to accommodate people still lining up. Voters went through security checks before having a finger stamped in indelible ink to prevent repeat voting.
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen judged the elections a "success" and said early reports on turnout were "a clear demonstration that the Afghan people want democracy, they want freedom and reject terrorism."
Notable election-day clashes included the multi-pronged assault by Taliban militants in Baghlan and a two-hour shootout between insurgents and Afghan forces in Kabul that killed two militants.
"I don't care about the Taliban and their threats. Who do they think they are? We have a government, police, army, the infrastructure of a functioning state. The Taliban are all talk," said 27-year-old Ramin after voting in Kabul.
Karzai hopes to win an outright majority to avoid a run-off, but his nervous government ordered a blackout on reporting violence during polling day, threatening journalists with heavy penalties.
An energetic campaign by ex-foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, who has a northern powerbase and draws on ethnic Tajik support, has boosted the chance of a run-off, which would take place in around six weeks' time.
Abdullah's office detailed 40 complaints of electoral irregularities, most of them alleging that officials were commanding people to vote for Karzai.
The election authority said it was investigating complaints from candidates, including that the indelible ink could be easily scrubbed off.
Western officials played down prospects for entirely free and fair elections given reports of vote-buying and Karzai's reliance on warlords, but said an estimated quarter of a million observers would guard against the worst abuses.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Afghans vote for president amid low turnout
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