The people of Afghanistan voted in the country's first independent presidential and provincial elections on 20 August, with the large-scale Taliban attacks that many had predicted ultimately failing to materialise.rnThe election was at best a qualified success, however, with fragile security and Taliban intimidation dissuading voters from participating in some areas of the country. Allegations of fraud were also rife.rnNATO has long identified the election as a key indicator of progress in the country and the alliance's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) suspended offensive operations on polling day to focus on protecting voters.
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