20 August 2009 - 12:02 pm: The people of Afghanistan have begun voting in a historic Presidential election, the first ever organised by Afghan authorities.

With polls opening at 7 am across over 27,000 polling stations country-wide, almost four hours ago, men and women defied security threats, to choose their next leader.

In Kabul, queues were seen at polling stations, despite intense security measures and attacks over the last week. Dr Nazifullah Salarzai, a UNAMA press officer, reported more than 50 people lining up at Makroyan Kohna, a polling station, in central Kabul, before voting began.

The city of Mazar-e-Sharif, so far, has also seen a positive turnout and peaceful voting. Village elders have been hired by the Independent Election Commission (IEC), to monitor the process and to ensure security.

According to eyewitnesses who visited two polling stations: namely, Azia High School and Wazir Akbar Khan High School, there was excitement among voters, especially women.

"Women's turnout is really over our expectations. They came in large numbers to vote this morning, and they are expected to come all over the day. This is a very good change compared to the 2005 election," an IEC official told UNAMA's Alexandre Brecher Dolivet.

"I am really happy to the large number of women involved in the polling process. That shows that women in Afghanistan really believe in the future of their country. They took their chance to participate in this historical election, and that's a very good sign for Afghanistan," said a 40-year-old housewife, who voted at Wazir Akbar Khan high school.

Although the turnout has been encouraging, not many women voters were seen in Jalalabad. According to eyewitness reports, 200 people were seen standing in line at an educational facility in the city. Among them was a 58-year-old man, who said he arrived at the centre at 5:45 am to become the first voter.

Mohammad Yusuf Ghairat lived in Pakistan in 2004/05 elections. “I am voting today for the first time in my life,” said Mr Ghairat, who is a schoolteacher. “So, I want to be the first to cast the vote.”

“I want a transparent government and expect fighting to end after the elections,” Mr Ghairat told UNAMA press officer Tilak Pokharel.

Peaceful polling is underway in all four provinces of eastern Afghanistan. However, some polling centres couldn’t open in a few insecure districts of Nuristan province.

Voting has also been peaceful in Bamyan, in the country's Central Highlands. UNAMA staff reported a line of more than 60 voters at Lala Khail, a small polling centre at 8 am.

There were queues of eager voters outside the Central Boys High School.

I have come out of my house to vote for peace in my country. We have witnessed three decades of war and we want our next president to bring stability,” a farmer told UNAMA's Jaffar Rahim.

By Aditya Mehta, UNAMA