Afghan elections are never quick and never easy. The presidential poll that took place on September 28th will be no exception. Voters were choosing a leader for the fourth time since the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001. Full results are not expected until November 7th. A run-off may then follow. Disputes are already rife. The contest is a repeat of the previous election, in 2014 The incumbent, Ashraf Ghani, is favourite; his closest rival is likely to be the man he defeated last time, Abdullah Abdullah. Campaigning was wan. Until America abruptly called off talks with the insurgents of the Taliban in early September, polling had widely been expected to be postponed, since it would have distracted from the negotiations.
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