Many Polling Stations To Stay Closed During Afghan Elections

Independent Election Commission chief Fazel Ahmad Manawi (file photo)

More than 900 polling stations for Afghanistan's parliamentary elections next month will not open because of security fears.

That's according to Fazel Ahmad Manawi, chairman of the Afghan Independent Election Commission, who today told reporters that 938 polling stations will remain closed "due to security problems during the election."

He said those that would not be able to open were spread across 25 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, but mostly in the south and the east, where the Taliban insurgency continues to rage.

Despite the presence of around 150,000 foreign troops, violence across Afghanistan has hit its worst levels since the Taliban were ousted by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001.

Reuters