Afghanistan hailed another successful election today when millions of people defied Taliban threats in a run-off vote to choose a new president as US-led troops withdraw.
But fraud allegations were likely from both campaign teams after the election, and a close count could lead to a contested result as the country undergoes its first democratic transfer of power.
The election will decide whether former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah or ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani leads the country into a new era of declining international military and civilian assistance.
Despite being largely peaceful, polling day saw at least 150 minor attacks, including a Taliban rocket that hit a house near a polling station in the eastern province of Khost, killing five members of the same family.
"The voting has gone well and as planned. As you see, the turnout has been large," said Independent Election Commission chief Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani as counting got underway.
He admitted there had been problems with ballot paper shortages, but said that affected polling stations had been re-supplied.
President Hamid Karzai is due to step down after ruling Afghanistan since 2001, when a US-led offensive ousted the austere Taliban regime for sheltering Al-Qaeda militants behind the 9/11 attacks.
A smooth handover would be a major achievement for the international effort to establish a functioning state after the depredations of the Taliban era.
"We are very proud to be choosing our favourite candidate," Karzai said after voting. "Today Afghanistan goes from a transition period towards long-lasting peace."
In the first-round vote in April, the insurgents also failed to launch a high-profile attack while voter turnout was more than 50 per cent.
"As we promised, the security was better and we had better planning," said interior minister Omar Daudzai today. "The enemy's attacks have had very little impact."
Daudzai said the day was proof that the security forces, who have been trained by the US-led military coalition, will able to protect the country when all NATO-lead combat troops exit Afghanistan this year.
Both candidates cast their ballots in Kabul, dipping a finger in ink to register that they had voted.
"We do not want even one fraudulent vote for us," Abdullah told reporters, while Ghani said via Twitter: "We ask everyone to prevent, avoid and discourage people from rigging.
