Afghan Elections

An Afghan man choose his candidate in the booth before casting his ballot in Kabul, Oct. 9. 2004. The Afghan people have lived under many forms of government in the past 30 years -- from Pashtun monarchy to Soviet-styled communism -- and this was their first-ever direct election.

U.S.-backed incumbent Afghan President Hamid Karzai casts his ballot in Kabul, Oct. 9, 2004. Final results were not due until the end of October, though the first official returns gave encouragement to Karzai.

Afghan men take to the streets and dance to celebrate the presidential elections, in Kandahar, Oct. 9, 2004. Turnout in the historic Oct. 9 election was about 75 percent, a senior official estimated, a figure underlining Afghan enthusiasm for democracy.

Afghan refugees line up to vote in their presidential election in downtown Tehran, Iran, Oct. 9, 2004. The vote was opened to the hundreds of thousands of refugees who remain in Pakistan and Iran, wary of returning to Afghanistan because of the slow pace of reconstruction, continuing lawlessness and the stubborn Taliban insurgency.

A voter dips his thumb into purple ink before he casts his ballot at a polling station in Kabul, Oct. 9, 2004. Some Afghan opposition candidates boycotted the elections, saying that the ink used in many polling booths to mark those who had voted could be rubbed off, allowing multiple votes.

Voters line up at a polling station in Kabul, Oct. 9. 2004.

Afghan women wearing burqas line up to vote at a polling station in Kabul, Oct. 9. 2004.

Afghan presidential candidate Mohammed Mohaqeq stands up in his vehicle to greet throngs of supporters one day after the elections, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 10. 2004.

An Afghan polling official shows a U.N. worker, left, a sealed ballot box at a collecting station in the southern city of Kandahar, Afghanistan, Oct. 10, 2004.

Afghan election officials sort presidential election ballots at a counting center in Kabul, Oct. 13, 2004.

Two Afghan soldiers and another Afghan man wrestle on a bed to pass the time as they guard their position on the road leading to an Afghan army base where presidential ballots were being counted, Oct. 13, 2004.

An Afghan election worker checks the validity of a ballot at a counting center in Kabul, Oct. 17, 2004.

A persian mark meaning "correct" is made beside Afghan presidential candidate Hamid Karzai in a ballot paper, at a counting center in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 19. 2004. The Afghan people are largely illiterate, so voters relied on candidates' photographs and electoral symbols to figure out which box to check.

Afghan presidential candidate Yunus Qanooni answers questions during a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 18. 2004. The former Education Minister - and U.S.-backed incumbent Hamid Karzi's closest challenger - claimed to have evidence of organized fraud in favor of Karzai and that the U.N.-Afghan electoral commission was ignoring his complaints.

An Afghan electoral worker stands near election results posted on the wall at a counting center in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 19. 2004.

An Afghan electoral worker sorts the ballot papers at a counting center in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 20, 2004.

An Afghan electoral worker counts the ballot papers at a counting center in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 20, 2004.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai answers a question during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Nov. 4, 2004. Election officials declared Karzai the winner Nov. 3, after more than three weeks of laborious counting and arguments about whether he had cheated his way to victory.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai kisses the Holy Koran as he is sworn in as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president, at a ceremony in Kabul's Presidential Palace, Dec. 7, 2004.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, right, shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney after a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 7. 2004, after Karzai's inauguration.