TALIBAN CUTS OFF VOTERS FINGER

KABUL: Taliban militants cut off the ink-stained fingers of two women Afghan voters in the south during the presidential election.

The voters who had dipped their index fingers in purple ink - a fraud prevention measure - were attacked in Kandahar province shortly after voting on Thursday, said Nader Nadery, the head of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan.

A spokesman for the militia denied the claims. Militants had warned they would cut off voters' ink-stained fingers before the election.

Election observers said the landmark polls were generally fair in the face of huge challenges, but admitted there were flaws and intimidation.

Nadery said his group saw multiple and under-age voting, fraud, ballot-stuffing, partial election commission staff and polling centres closing early.

Definitive results are not due until next month but President Hamid Karzai declared a win and his main rival, ex-foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, insisted he was ahead.

Meanwhile, Abdullah yesterday accused Karzai of using the state to "rig" the election and detailed allegations of cheating by government officials.

The European Union's election mission raised concerns about the Independent Election Commission, quoting reports that the commission exerted pressure on its staff in a manner which raised questions about its impartiality. "Free was not the case in some parts of the territory due to terror installed," said EU mission head Philippe Morillon.

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