Afghanistan to hold presidential election

The upcoming presidential election scheduled for Sept 28 will be the fourth election in Afghanistan since 2001, when US troops invaded the country, ousting the Taliban regime.

A total of 18 contenders registered to run for the presidency with a five-year term, and among the candidates are sitting President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and government Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.

Afghan officials say around 100,000 members of the country's security forces are ready for polling day. A total of 72,000 security personnel will be on duty around the 4,942 polling centers across Afghanistan, while nearly 30,000 additional troops will serve as reserve units.

Based on the election commission's timeline, preliminary results will be announced on Oct 19 and the final results will be announced on Nov 7.