20 August 2009 - 11:03 am: Polling is underway in all four provinces of eastern Afghanistan peacefully.

However, some polling centres couldn’t open in a few insecure districts of Nuristan province.

Election observers – both domestic and international – and agents of various candidates were present in large numbers at most of the polling centres in Jalalabad.

UNAMA met a 58-year-old man at the polling centre at the Education Faculty n Jalalabad who said he arrived at the centre at 5:45 am to become the first voter.

Mohammad Yusuf Ghairat said he was living in Pakistan during the 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,” said Mr Ghairat.

Voter turnout at the Education Faculty polling centre appeared swift and encouraging with about 200 people showing up in the first half hour since the poll opened at 7 am.

Though the voter turnout was relatively low in the second centre – Emam Burkhari High School – with about 150 people in the first one and half hours, many people started to come after that.

Election staff at the centre complained about punching machines used to punch holes in voter registration cards not working.

In Jalalabad, turnout in female polling centres is lower than in male centres, according to Independent Election Commission (IEC) officials.

Many polling centres in Mandol and Waigal districts didn’t open due to “insecurity”, said IEC officials reached by phone.

“In Waigal district, polling is going on in only two villages – Dahan Soz and Zamyo,” said Zabihullah, an IEC staff member.

Dr Abdullah, the IEC’s Public Outreach Officer in Laghman province, said two polling centres (in Garuch and Badpakh villages) out of 128 couldn’t open due to insecurity.

“Otherwise, the process is going smoothly in cities as well as in districts,” he said.

Though there was a light fire in Daulat Shah District of Laghman this morning, it caused no damage. “Now the situation is calm and voting is underway,” said Dr Abdullah.

In Kunar province, except nine centres in Chapa Dara district, which are closed, polling in all other centres is going on smoothly. The IEC is going to open these centres with the help of security forces.

Remote villages of Nurgal, Sarkano, Khas Kunar and Marawara districts of the province saw some light fires. “But, polling in these districts is going well. However, the turnout is lesser than in Assadabad City, the provincial capital,” said Shajahan Sardari, the head of the IEC in Kunar.

By Tilak Pokharel and Shafiqullah Waak, UNAMA