Counting Afghan votes

Afghan election workers empty ballot boxes at the Darul Aman counting centre in Kabul, Afghanistan on October 11, 2004.

Afghans went to the polls for the first time on October 9 in a direct election to choose a presidential candidate. The election is seen as a crucial step towards democracy and peace in the war-torn country after the fall of the Taliban.

Photo: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

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