AP: Parlamentswahl in Afghanistan in prekärer Sicherheitslage

SHOTLIST:

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Kabul - 20 October 2018

1. Various of Afghan police security checkpoint

2. Various of police on guard

3. IEC (Independent Election Commission) workers preparing voting centre

4. Various of IEC workers setting up voting booths

5. Various of women registering

6. Various of women voting

7. Exterior of voting centre

STORYLINE:

Tens of thousands of security forces fanned out across Afghanistan on Saturday as voting began in parliamentary elections, following a campaign marred by relentless violence.

Two candidates were killed during campaigning and polls were delayed for a week in Kandahar after a rogue guard gunned down the powerful provincial police chief.

Afghans lined up for hours on Saturday to cast their vote in parliamentary elections amid tight security.

The vote comes after near-daily attacks by the Taliban and the Islamic State group.

There are 2,565 candidates vying for 249 seats in the lower house of parliament, including 417 women candidates.

Voters will be able to cast ballots at more than 19,000 polling stations in 33 provinces.

Of those, the elections commission says as many as 11,667 polling stations are reserved for men and 7,429 for women